


Stripped

by CharmedRumbelle



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-15
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-01-24 21:01:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 42,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1616954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharmedRumbelle/pseuds/CharmedRumbelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Storybrooke S1 AU - Gold discovers that Belle is alive and working as a stripper named Lacey. He is determined to find a way to keep her safe from Regina and her misogynistic boss, Keith, while trying to gain her trust and help her to remember who she really is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story BEGINS in a cursed Storybrooke, BEFORE Emma Swan's arrival.
> 
> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'

Mr. Gold hated going in there. The establishment was a blight on the community as far as he was concerned. The neon sign that flashed outside of the windowless door read _Enchanted Evenings_ and featured an artist's rendering of a scantily clad woman, whose bare, high-heel wearing leg was extended. The crude depiction also flashed in neon.

Gold normally arrived there to collect the rent early in the day, before the place was buzzing with too much activity. He certainly wasn't the type to frequent such a place. But he did own the property, and he wanted his money. As long as there were no illegal goings-on at the establishment, Gold didn't much care what they did there. There was no love lost between himself and Keith Sherman, the club's owner. Gold had many suspicions about the man, none of them good. But to his knowledge, none of his activities were of a criminal nature. As long as the man paid his rent in full and on time, there would be no problem.

This particular day, Gold was running a bit late on his collection rounds. He had a bit of a mishap at home that morning; he tripped as he was leaving his house and twisted his leg a bit. It was hurting badly enough that a trip to Dr. Whale's office was warranted. Fortunately, it was simply a mild strain that furthered the pain in his injured leg. He would just tolerate it, as he always did.

When he entered the club that evening, the lights were already dimmed. There was a large crowd of men (and a few women) seated as the lights rose on the stage. Gold approached the bar counter, where Keith was positioned and serving drinks.

"You're pretty late today, Mr. Gold." Keith said nervously. He was as petrified of the man as everyone else in town.

"I was unexpectedly delayed. I take it you have the rent." Gold said.

"Yeah – be right back. You um – you want to watch the show? I can get you a seat, front row, whatever you want." Keith said.

"No thank you." Gold replied. As if he would even be interested. Gold never saw anything appealing or titillating about a strip tease or the women who would debase themselves by doing such things. He just wanted his money so that he could get the hell out of there as quickly as possible.

"And now, please welcome our star performer – Racy Lacey!" a voice was heard shouting over a loudspeaker. The crowd went wild, the men hooting and hollering and calling out the girl's name. A bunch of maniacs, Gold thought to himself. The loud music began to blare as a petite figure took the center of the stage. She had long, dark hair and wore high heels and a flowing, knee-length skirt that she was obviously going to remove until there was nothing left to the imagination.

She took his breath away. She was absolutely beautiful. Gold tried not to stare but he couldn't help himself. He couldn't keep his eyes off of the girl. He wasn't looking at her in a way that one would consider rude or leering. He was almost _lovingly_ gazing at her.

"Mr. Gold?" A voice said, interrupting his focus on the beautiful woman. Gold turned around. "The rent – here." Keith said, handing him a check.

"Oh. Yes. Thank you." Gold replied, obviously distracted.

"I can still get you a seat if you want. No charge." Keith said, his voice trembling a bit.

"Yes. I think I'd like that." Gold replied.

* * *

Gold continued to visit _Enchanted Evenings_ whenever Lacey performed. He had a seat in the front row every time. It became a routine for him; she performed on Fridays and Saturdays and every other Tuesday, and he was there for each and every show. He lost track of how long he had been doing this. It seemed like years, but at the same time, it seemed like just yesterday that he first laid eyes on the beautiful girl.

He never spoke to her. He tried not to make eye contact with her. The few times that he did, she smiled at him, and he offered a weak smile back. He didn't know why he kept going back to see her. He didn't want to ogle her like she was some piece of meat. In fact, as soon as her show reached the point where she was going to bare all, he looked away. Every time, he looked away. He didn't want to see her like that. And yet he wanted her – he yearned for her. It was as if he was drawn to her, and couldn't stay away, no matter how hard he tried.

Late one evening, Gold was finishing his rounds and collecting rent. His last stop was the boarding house that was managed by Widow Lucas. A young woman was checking in when he arrived. And the moment she introduced herself, his entire world changed.

"Swan. Emma Swan." she said. Gold's head began to spin, and memories long forgotten began to flood his mind. The Enchanted Forest. The Dark One. Bae. BELLE.

"Emma. Well, that's a lovely name." Gold said to her, and he made his way out the door.

She was _dead_. Regina told him that she had died by her own hand after being tortured by clerics. But Regina lied. And he foolishly believed her. Gold seethed in anger the entire way home, and as soon as he arrived he flew into a fit of rage. He waved his cane in fury, smashing anything that was in his path.

Belle was alive. And Regina had made her into – he didn't even want to think about the things that Belle had done as Lacey. For over two hundred years, his entire goal had been to find his son. And now he had two more goals: destroy Regina, and save Belle from the hellish life that had been crafted for her in this cursed world. And he was damned determined to accomplish both of them as quickly as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'

Gold was filled with a variety of emotions as he entered the club that night. For twenty eight years, in this cursed land, he was there for every show, staring at her shamefully like a piece of meat on display. He was embarrassed for his behavior. He was angry with Regina for cursing Belle to this depraved life. But most of all, he was sad for Belle for all that she had to endure, in this land and most likely in their own land of magic, and angry with himself for allowing it to happen. Why did he ever trust the word of Regina when she told him that Belle had died at her own hand? Why did he not investigate the matter on his own? He couldn't help but wonder what she must have endured during the time between the moment he threw her out of the castle and the moment that the curse was set into motion. He had several suspicions as to what Regina did to her, none of them good. And she would pay for that.

Gold entered _Enchanted Evenings_ as he always did on the nights that Belle performed. Only she wasn't Belle in this land. She was Lacey, and he knew nothing about her aside from the fact that she worked in this foul place. He found himself just as tongue-tied and awkward in her presence as he did back in the Dark Castle, but he knew that if he was going to find a way to reach her, to break through her curse, he had to get to know her as Lacey. Gold reluctantly attended her show for the first time with full knowledge of who she really was. He looked away even more often than he did in his cursed form. It actually made sense that even his cursed persona would be drawn to her; even in their land he was drawn to her from the moment he saw her.

After the show, Gold mustered up every ounce of confidence he had. He went outside and waited by the door where he presumed she would exit. He waited there for some time, but she finally emerged. She was dressed in a short skirt, high heels, and a black leather jacket. "Excuse me – Lacey?" Gold said, approaching her. Lacey turned around.

"What?" Lacey asked in a stifled tone.

"I, um – I just wanted to meet you. I'm -"

"Mr. Gold. Of course I know who you are, everyone knows who you are. Plus you're one of my best customers, you always leave me a hundred dollar tip." Lacey said. Gold blushed in embarrassment at the comment. He did tip her at every show because it was part of the protocol of the performance, and felt guilt every time he did so. "You never put it in – well, you know. You always just set it on the floor in front of me."

"I just – felt that would be less – forward." Gold said, and Lacey laughed.

"Mr. Gold, it's not like what I do requires good manners. As long as you're not too handsy, it's alright, the bouncers won't mind, you can touch. Or do you just like to watch?" Lacey asked.

"I like – you, Lacey. Would you like to go out with me sometime? Maybe dinner." Gold suggested nervously, hoping he didn't sound as creepy as he thought he did. She made him just as nervous as Belle did.

"I don't date customers, I'm sorry. It's against club policy." Lacey said.

"You do realize that I'm the property landlord, right? Surely that allows for some sort of exception." Gold told her.

"I've heard about you, you know. The people in town – they're afraid of you, Mr. Gold." Lacey said.

"Don't let that deter you. Give me a chance, please." Gold said. Lacey thought about it for a moment.

"I'd have to check with Keith." Lacey said. Gold cringed at the mention of his name. In their other land, he was the foul Sheriff of Nottingham, a rude, drunken lout who once tried to purchase Belle in order to violate her innocence for his own sick pleasure. He didn't want Belle anywhere near that man. But he knew he couldn't rouse any suspicions by approaching him. He had to do his best to keep the parameters of the curse in position. Ripping the tongue out of the mouth of the proprietor of the town's strip club wouldn't exactly be a subtle move. "Hey – I'm going over to the Rabbit Hole, have a few drinks, shoot some pool – you can always come there if you'd like, just to hang out."

The Rabbit Hole? That place was just as bad, if not worse than her place of employment. All of the dregs of Storybrooke society gathered there. Belle did not belong in a place like that, and he certainly wasn't going to be seen there. Most people who visited the strip club didn't exactly advertise their whereabouts, so his presence there would likely remain under the radar. But the Rabbit Hole was a haunt for many individuals that may have contact with Regina – and he couldn't have her finding out that he was seen with Lacey in a public venue. He worried that she may get suspicious of him.

"Maybe some other time. Thank you for asking though, Lacey." Gold said.

"Okay. Well, it was nice talking to you, Mr. Gold. I'll see you at my next show, then?" Lacey asked.

"Yes. Of course." Gold replied. As she walked away, Gold realized that she was not the least bit interested in anything about him, except perhaps his money. He was hoping there would be some level of attraction there from her, as there was in the Dark Castle, even though he took far too long to admit it. But if his wealth was the only way to reach her – he had no other choice but to use that to his advantage.

* * *

Gold waited with the rest of the crowd the next time that Lacey performed. It was fifteen minutes past the time she was set to go onstage, and she still hadn't appeared. The crowd was starting to become a bit raucous, shouting her name and stomping their feet. This had never happened before. Then again, many things that had never happened before were now happening, Gold observed. Ever since Emma Swan arrived in town, time started to move forward. Things were changing. People were changing, and reacting to things in ways they had never done before. Because of this, Lacey's tardiness worried Gold. Her shows always began on time, and he couldn't help but wonder what had delayed her. Fortunately, just as he was about to get up to investigate, the lights dimmed in the club, and the stage lights came up. The announcer called out Lacey's name, and the crowd cheered loudly as the music began to blare.

Lacey stepped out onto the stage, and Gold immediately sensed that something was off with her. Lacey always wore a playful smirk on her face as she performed, but on this night her face was expressionless. There was definitely something wrong. The way she moved on stage was awkward and clumsy and not at all like her. Her performance, for what it was worth, was always polished and precise. Some of the men in the audience even booed her for the first time. As Lacey made her way down the runway portion of the stage, she lost her balance and tripped. Her ankle scraped against the edge of the stage, tearing her stocking as she fell, landing in Gold's lap. Gold immediately smelled alcohol on her, and realized that her performance was off because she had been drinking. The crowd booed her even more, and she stood up from out of Gold's lap without saying a word. She looked down at her ankle, which was now bleeding, and got up and limped away. The announcer tried to settle the crowd down, and called another girl to the stage to perform.

Gold walked away from his seat, and he noticed Keith stomping down a hallway, his eyes filled with anger. Gold followed him. Keith walked down a hallway marked 'Employees Only' but Gold still followed. He figured he owned the property, he had every right to be there. Keith stormed through a door, slamming it behind him. Gold heard the man shouting and screaming at someone, and he heard a woman's voice cry out in pain. Gold barged into the room, and found Lacey kneeling on the floor, her hand held up against her cheek, and Keith standing over her.

"Get away from her!" Gold shouted. Keith turned around and gasped when he saw Gold standing there.

"Mr. Gold – what are you doing here?" Keith asked nervously. Gold raised his cane and lunged toward Keith with it. Keith quickly ducked away from him, moving toward the door.

"Mr. Gold, I'm sorry, she was just – you gotta keep the girls in line, right?" Keith said, his voice trembling. It took every ounce of restraint within him not to simply murder the man right then and there. But he knew that Belle would show him mercy, even though he deserved none. And when the curse was broken, he didn't want her to remember any such thing about him.

"GET OUT!" Gold screamed, and Keith bolted out the door. Gold turned around; Lacey had stood up and was sitting in a chair, looking down at her injured ankle.

"Let me help you, dear." Gold said as he approached her, but Lacey flinched away from him.

"Leave me alone." Lacey said.

"You're hurt." Gold said, not moving away.

"I said go!" Lacey shouted at him. She looked up at him; tears were streaming down her cheek. "You don't know what you just did."

"I just stopped that brute from doing who knows what to you." Gold said.

"It was my fault. I went to the bar before the show, had a few drinks, I know I shouldn't have done that but – I made a mistake. He would have gotten over it by my next show, but now because of you – he's just going to be more angry." Lacey said.

"Lacey – you don't have to work for him." Gold said, and Lacey sniffed back her tears and laughed a bit.

"Right. I can just go out and get another job, sure. There's a line a mile long of people out there wanting to hire me." Lacey remarked sarcastically.

"I'll hire you." Gold suggested.

"I don't take money for that. You have to go three blocks around the corner if you want the girls that do that." Lacey said. Gold gave her a stunned look.

"No, of course not – I meant – you could be my – my maid." Gold suggested. Lacey laughed again.

"I don't do housework." Lacey said, and she stood up.

"Where are you going?" Gold asked. Lacey removed her shoes and walked in her stocking feet toward the door.

"Home." Lacey said.

"Well, let me give you a ride. Where do you live?" Gold asked.

"I only live around the corner, I don't need a ride." Lacey said.

"You live in this neighborhood?" Gold asked, cringing at the thought of it.

"It's not like I can afford anything else. Everyone doesn't tip like you, Mr. Gold." Lacey said.

"Well, it's not safe for you here. Why don't you come home with me?" Gold asked.

"I already told you, I don't do that." Lacey said.

"No, not like that, just – well, you're hurt. I can help you get cleaned up. And that bastard you work for might come looking for you. I have a nice home, you can take a warm bath, get a good night's sleep, you'll be safe there."

"Why? Why do you want to help me?" Lacey asked suspiciously.

"I already told you, Lacey – I like you. You seem like a – very nice person." Gold said.

"Well, I'm not." Lacey replied. "But I guess it – wouldn't hurt anything if I stayed at your place tonight. But this isn't anything that's – a thing, okay? I just kind of want to stay away from Keith tonight. You're right, he probably would come looking for me."

"Well don't worry – he wouldn't dare come to my place. Come on, let's go." Gold said.

"We should probably go out the back. If he sees me leaving with you, he'll get mad." Lacey said.

"That's fine. Whatever you like." Gold said, and he followed her out the door.

* * *

Lacey climbed into the large bed with silk sheets and warm blankets after she took a bath. She was dressed in one of the silk pajama tops that Gold gave her. She stretched out on the bed and made a pained face as she peeled back the bandage that was covering the wound on her leg. Gold softly knocked on the door.

"Can I come in?" Gold asked.

"It's your house." Lacey replied. Gold was carrying a cup that was steaming hot.

"I brought you some tea." Gold said.

"I'm not really much of a tea drinker." Lacey said.

"Just try it – it's really good, it's my own recipe. It'll help you relax, get a good night's sleep." Gold said as he handed her the cup.

"You didn't roofie it, did you?" Lacey asked.

"Of course not, no." Gold said, sounding offended at the suggestion. Lacey took a sip of the tea.

"Not bad." she said. "Would be better with a shot of vodka though."

"Yes, well – I think you've had enough of that today." Gold said.

"I'm not drunk. I just had a few drinks, I was just having some fun, that's all. I wasn't watching my time, it won't happen again." Lacey said.

"Let me take a look at that cut, clean it up a bit more." Gold said. He stepped into the attached bathroom and came out with some gauze bandage, a damp cloth, and several creams and gels.

"You got a whole bloody pharmacy in there or something? Tom Clark must love you." Lacey commented.

"I'm a bit clumsy myself sometimes. Best to be prepared." Gold said. "May I?"

"Whatever." Lacey replied, and she took another sip of tea. Gold sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully began to clean the cut on her leg. Lacey winced a few times, and Gold apologized after each complaint. He carefully bandaged her ankle after applying the appropriate topical medicine to it.

"There. Should be good as new in a couple of days." Gold said.

"Thank you." Lacey said. "You know, this is a pretty nice room for a guest room."

"This isn't a guest room dear, it's – it's my room. One doesn't have much of a need for guest rooms when you never have guests. I'll sleep downstairs on the sofa." Gold said.

"I don't want to take your room from you, Mr. Gold. I can stay downstairs, it's not a big deal." Lacey suggested.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're all settled in, you're comfortable – you're staying right where you are." Gold said.

"Okay. Just this one night though." Lacey said. "You know, people are really wrong about you, Mr. Gold."

"Why do you say that?" Gold asked.

"Well, you're – you're a classy guy, Mr. Gold. This is not what I was expecting, given all the – stuff people say about you." Lacey said.

"Oh, that again. My reputation. What is it that you hear?" Gold asked.

"Just that you're the most powerful man in town, and you got that power from being ruthless, and that when people cross you they get – hurt." Lacey said.

"I am simply – a shop owner. And procurer of difficult to find objects." Gold said. "People like to believe the worst about me but – I'd like you to believe the best."

"I just don't get why people are scared of you. I see a man who wouldn't hurt – anyone." Lacey said. "Except for maybe my boss."

"Well I'm not going to stand by and let a woman be assaulted. But thank you, Lacey, for saying that." Gold said. "Here, let me take that." Gold took the empty cup from Lacey.

"You know what they say, right? You can't tell what's in a person's heart until you truly know them." Lacey said. Gold immediately recalled Belle saying those words to him, and the cup slipped out of his hand and fell to the floor. Lacey laughed a bit.

"You're right, you are kind of clumsy." Lacey teased. Gold bent down to pick up the cup – there was a small chip in the top of it. "You broke it."

"It's just a cup." Gold replied, becoming flustered as he recalled a similar moment in the Dark Castle. "I um – I should let you get some sleep. Goodnight, Lacey." Lacey grabbed his hand just as Gold stood up.

"Thanks. This is all – really nice of you." Lacey said.

"I'll see you in the morning." Gold said. He left the room carrying the newly chipped teacup in his hand. He closed the door behind him and leaned against the wall, glancing down at the cup. "Oh, Belle." he said to himself, his eyes welling up with tears.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those of you who are enjoying the story and have left kudos and feedback! VERY much appreciated!
> 
> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'

The next morning, Gold was awakened by a loud, shrill noise. It was the smoke alarm; Gold bolted up on the sofa, quickly put on his robe, grabbed his cane, and hobbled as fast as he could into the kitchen, which was barely visible through the cloud of smoke that surrounded it. "What the hell is going on!?" Gold shouted.

"Sorry – I'm not really a good cook." Lacey said, moving the smoking pan that was the culprit into the sink and dousing it with water. Gold approached the smoke alarm, lifted up his cane, and hit it until it stopped making noise. "I was trying to make you breakfast – just trying to do something nice for you and – I'm sorry. I think this pan is ruined." Gold went to investigate – whatever it was she was cooking was not even identifiable.

"It's no matter." Gold said. "I'll take it from here."

"I'm really sorry. I usually just have cereal and toast for breakfast, if anything – half the time I'm not even up before noon. I'm not really good at cooking, either. I know my way around a microwave though." Lacey said.

"It's alright – I'll take care of breakfast, why don't you go wait at the table?" Gold suggested.

"Well, I did make coffee – that I can manage. You want some?" she asked.

"Yeah. That would be good." Gold replied. Lacey searched the cupboards and took out a cup. She looked it over.

"This one's damaged too." Lacey said. Gold had left the cup that he had dropped the night before sitting on the counter. "How many cups have you broken?" Gold quickly went to her side and took the cup from her.

"It's um – it's just a little chip, you can barely see it." Gold said. He looked up at her, hoping to find any sign of recognition in her eyes. There was none.

"Well let me see if I can find one that isn't broken." Lacey said.

"No, it's alright – I'll use this one." Gold said. Lacey gave him a puzzled look, then took the cup from him.

"Whatever." she said as she poured his coffee, then handed the cup back to him. "You got anything to read in this place?" she asked, and Gold nearly dropped the teacup but managed to set it down on the counter.

"You – you like to read?" Gold asked.

"Well yeah – just cause I'm a stripper doesn't mean I don't read. I doubt you'd have a copy of Cosmo around here? Maybe People?" she asked.

"Magazines." Gold said in a disappointed tone.

"It's kind of my guilty pleasure." Lacey admitted.

"Sorry – I don't have any of that here. I do get the newspaper though, it should be outside." Gold said.

"I'll go get it." Lacey said.

"No, I'll get it, just wait here." Gold said.

"Yeah, that's right – you don't want people to see me coming out of your house, what would they think?" Lacey remarked.

"Of course it's not that, just – well, it's cold out there." Gold said. Lacey was wearing nothing but the silk pajama top given to her by Gold. Gold headed for the front door. He went outside and got the paper, then headed back toward the kitchen with it. Lacey was no longer in the room. "Lacey?" Gold called out as he headed toward the living room. Lacey was standing in the room admiring some of his many knick-knacks.

"You've got a lot of this stuff. You a collector or something?" Lacey asked.

"In a manner of speaking." Gold said. "I um – I have the paper, it's in the kitchen."

"Yeah, be right there. Some of this stuff is pretty expensive, huh?" she asked.

"Priceless." Gold replied. Lacey smiled a bit as Gold watched her sadly. She was so very different from Belle and he had no idea how to get through to her. Gold left the room, and a few minutes later Lacey came back into the kitchen. She was talking on her cell phone.

"Yeah, okay. I won't, I promise. Fine. Yes, I'll be there, fine. I spent the night at a friend's, what I do in my free time isn't your business, Keith. Yeah, screw you." Lacey said, and she hung up the phone.

"Everything alright?" Gold asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. Great." Lacey said. "I have to do a show tonight to um – make up for my debacle performance yesterday. Apparently Keith lost money last night, he's not happy." Lacey said. "You gonna come?" Gold thought about it for a moment. The idea of watching Belle strip again was mortifying to him.

"I um – I'm not sure I can tonight." Gold replied.

"Oh, come on – it won't be the same without my best customer there in the front row." Lacey said playfully. "Hey, I know how I can pay you back for being so nice to me. How about I give you a little private show right now?" Lacey pushed herself into a sitting position on top of the kitchen counter and started to unbutton her pajama top. Gold stopped her immediately.

"No, no, no – that's really not necessary." Gold said. Lacey buttoned herself back up and jumped down from the counter.

"You know, I don't get you, Mr. Gold. You come and watch my show every night. You've been doing that for as long as I can remember. You sit right in the front row all the time. You give me a hundred dollar tip every show. But you never want to touch me. And every time I get to – well, the part of the show that most men would consider the good part – you look away. Why? If you don't want to touch and you don't want to look – why are you even there?"

"I think I should get breakfast ready." Gold said, and he stepped into the kitchen.

"You didn't answer my question." Lacey said, picking up the newspaper and leafing through it.

"How do you like your eggs?" Gold asked as he began to take things out of the refrigerator.

"You're not even going to acknowledge my question? Seriously – if you don't enjoy the performance, why are you even there?" Lacey asked. Gold sighed. She may not be Belle at the moment, but she was certainly as prying and persistent as her.

"It's – complicated. You wouldn't understand." Gold said.

"Try me." Lacey said, looking up from the paper.

"I – I already told you before. I like you, Lacey. And I – I want to look out for you." Gold said. Lacey laughed.

"Right. You'll look out for me. Come on – you're not exactly some overpowering, muscular figure of a man and – well, you're – you know."

"Crippled? Is that what you wanted to say?" Gold asked.

"Well, not like that, no. But – you're not exactly the hero type. I still don't get why people are so frightened of you." Lacey said. "And I don't need anyone looking out for me. I can handle myself just fine. Oh, and – over easy."

"What?" Gold asked.

"My eggs. That's how I like them." Lacey said.

"Oh. Yes, of course." Gold said.

"How did it happen?" Lacey asked.

"How did what happen?" Gold replied.

"Your leg. How'd you hurt it?" Lacey asked.

"That is – also, complicated." Gold replied.

"You're a very strange man, Mr. Gold. But not in a bad way. Just – you're like a mystery to be uncovered." Lacey said. Gold was pouring orange juice when she said that, and at the sound of those words he lost his focus and spilled the juice all over the kitchen counter. Lacey began to laugh again. "You're also very clumsy. Here, let me help." Lacey stood up and grabbed some paper towels, and she helped him clean up the mess. After the entire counter was wiped down, Lacey picked up one of the glasses of orange juice and took a sip. "You don't have any champagne, do you?"

"It's nine o'clock in the morning." Gold said.

"It's called a mimosa, you've never had one?" Lacey asked. "You need to loosen up. I mean look at you – all buttoned up. It's bad enough when you wander about in those stuffy suits of yours, but even in your sleepwear you're too reserved. You know, maybe you shouldn't come to my show any longer."

"Why not?" Gold asked, sounding a bit upset.

"Well – Keith has that stupid rule about not fraternizing with the customers. And um – I don't know. Maybe I'd like to fraternize with you a bit." Lacey said playfully.

"Why?" Gold asked.

"I don't know. You're – interesting. You're the first man I've met that actually wants to have a conversation with me and doesn't want to just paw at me and look down my bra. Plus, you're being very nice to me. No one is ever nice to me unless they want something from me." Lacey said.

"That I can relate to. Quite well, in fact." Gold said.

"Well then – something we actually have in common. So – would you like to fraternize a bit?" Lacey teased.

"Let's have breakfast first." Gold replied. Perhaps getting through to her wouldn't be as difficult as he initially thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the feedback so far, I really appreciate it!
> 
> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'

Belle – or Lacey, as she was known in this land – was going to become quite a distraction for him the more he thought about it. He hadn't gone to her last couple of shows, because he just didn't want to endure that any longer. He knew he couldn't stop it due to the curse and every time he saw Belle taking her clothes off he wanted to pull her off the stage and drag her away. So it was best for him to just stay away, he decided.

That didn't mean he didn't keep in contact with her. They had plans tonight, actually. He was going to pick her up, and he was taking her on a late night picnic. Regina was never out late, not with Henry to look after, and especially not now with Miss Swan in town. He didn't want Regina to know that he had found Belle. At least not yet.

He did, however, take some time to taunt Regina a bit, tossing out his first 'please' at her since he awoke from the curse. There were so many things that needed to be done now. Gold had to figure out a way to set everything in motion with Miss Swan while still entertaining Belle. Their first date – this was going to be their first real date. Even though it was with Lacey – he wanted it to be nice. She wasn't that bad, after all. He didn't dislike her. She just wasn't Belle. But for now – he had to win her over somehow. Gold walked out of the shop, locking the door behind him. He was just about to get in his car, when he heard a crash. Something wasn't right. Gold turned around and went back to his shop. The door had been opened, clearly through a break-in. Who on earth would be that foolish, he wondered. Gold entered the shop and found a young girl inside. Ashley Boyd. Cinderella in their land. Pregnant for twenty-eight years. That had to have been miserable.

"Ashley – what are you doing?" Gold asked.

"Changing my life." Ashley said. Before Gold even had a moment to react, he was sprayed in the eyes with pepper spray. Gold screamed out in pain, and lost his balance as he covered his eyes. As he fell, he hit his head on one of his counters. Then there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

Lacey looked at her watch. He was late. She didn't know Mr. Gold very well – but she knew he wasn't the type to be late for anything. So that could only mean one thing. She was stood up. He actually stood her up. Well, this was not acceptable. She was Lacey French – men PAID her to just look at her. She didn't care who Mr. Gold was or how much money he had. NO ONE stood her up. Lacey stomped out of her apartment, got in her car, and drove off to give him a piece of her mind.

Her first stop was his house, but he wasn't there. So Lacey drove out to his shop. She had never been there before, but it wasn't hard to find. His car was there. He did stand her up, the bastard. Well, she had a few choice words for him. Lacey parked her car and got out. The door to Gold's shop was ajar, and there was shattered glass on the ground. One of the windows was broken. Lacey nervously entered the shop.

"Mr. Gold?" Lacey called out, but there was no answer. She looked around and immediately noticed why. Gold was lying on the floor. There was a deep cut on his forehead, and he wasn't moving. "Oh my god – Mr. Gold." Lacey said, and she immediately knelt down next to him and began to shake him. "Mr. Gold, please wake up." Lacey begged. Gold began to stir and moan a bit. He opened his eyes, then closed them immediately and cried out in pain. "Are you alright?" Lacey asked worriedly.

"My eyes are burning. My head hurts." Gold whispered.

"I'll call an ambulance, alright?" Lacey said.

"No – no ambulance. I'm alright." Gold said, and Lacey helped him sit up.

"You were unconscious, you need to see a doctor, Mr. Gold." Lacey said.

"I'm fine." Gold protested. "There um – there are some towels in the back, can you soak one of them in cold water please?"

"Alright." Lacey said reluctantly, and she got up and did as he asked.

"Thank you." Gold said as Lacey returned with the wet towel. He immediately began to dab his eyes with it.

"What happened?" Lacey asked. "Do you know who did this?" Gold nodded.

"Ashley Boyd." Gold said.

"Ashley – isn't she that pregnant teenage girl? I've seen her before, she comes to the Rabbit Hole." Lacey said. Gold looked up at her. "Well, she doesn't drink, I mean – she's not even of age and then – well, there's the 'being pregnant' thing – she hangs out with Ruby Lucas sometimes. Her ex's father comes to the club – I've never liked him." Gold sighed and leaned back against the counter. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be prattling on – are you sure you're alright?"

"I think I'll be much better once I get home." Gold said.

"How on earth did a pregnant teenager do this to you?" Lacey asked.

"Took me by surprise. I had just left to go pick you up. I heard a noise, went to investigate and – Ashley was in my shop. She maced me in the eyes and – well, the rest I did to myself as I fell." Gold said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. And here I thought you stood me up." Lacey said. "I came to find you and yell at you for that. You should be glad that I don't suffer fools, otherwise you'd have been lying here all night."

"Yes. I am very grateful for that. And I promise you, Lacey – I would never stand you up." Gold said.

"Well that's good." Lacey said. "You want me to take you home?"

"I can manage." Gold said. He grabbed onto Lacey's arm and she helped him stand. Gold swayed a bit as he got to his feet.

"Right. How many fingers am I holding up?" Lacey asked, holding up two fingers.

"Four." Gold said, blinking his eyes as he tried to focus.

"You're not managing. Where are your car keys?" Lacey asked.

"I don't recall giving you permission to drive my Cadillac." Gold said.

"Well, we're not riding in my car. It's a piece of junk and the passenger door is broken so I wouldn't be able to get you in there. Keys." Lacey demanded. Gold reached into his pocket but found nothing.

"They're not there. Ashley must have taken them off of me." Gold said. Lacey looked around and noticed that a wall safe was open. She then saw a key ring on the counter.

"There they are. On the counter." Lacey said, reaching for the keys. "You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"

"Positive. I'll be fine." Gold said.

"Come on then. Let's get you home." Lacey said. She put her arm around him and led him out the door.

* * *

"There – it's not that bad, it should heal just fine." Lacey said as she finished putting the bandage on Gold's forehead wound. "How does it feel?"

"Sore." he replied. Gold was lying back on the living room sofa with a cool cloth across his eyes.

"How are your eyes?" Lacey asked.

"Still burning." Gold replied. "Actually, this cloth is getting a bit warm, can you get me another?"

"Yeah, sure." Lacey replied. "You need anything else?"

"I wouldn't mind some tea. I have my own brew, it's in a canister on the kitchen counter." Gold said.

"Is that the stuff you gave me?" Lacey asked.

"Yes." Gold replied. "You think you can manage making it without burning my house down?"

"I'll do my best." Lacey said, and she left the room. She came back several minutes later with a fresh cloth for Gold's eyes draped over her wrist, and a steaming hot cup of tea in one hand and a bottle of wine in another. Lacey sat down on the coffee table next to the sofa.

"You awake?" she asked.

"Somewhat." Gold said quietly, and he removed the cloth from his eyes. They were starting to look less red and swollen. Gold sat up a bit.

"Well, that looks better. How many fingers?" Lacey asked, holding up three fingers.

"Three." Gold replied.

"You'll be fine." she said, and she handed him the cup of tea.

"Thank you." Gold replied. He took a slow sip, then looked up at her. "Did you add something to this?"

"You like it?" Lacey asked.

"It's – different. But good." Gold said, taking another sip.

"Told you it'd be better with vodka." Lacey said. Gold looked up at her in disbelief.

"You put vodka in here?" he asked.

"Just a tiny little bit. Found your stash." Lacey said, and she grabbed the bottle of wine and started to drink from it.

"That's a two thousand dollar bottle of wine!" Gold shouted.

"And it's just sitting there for how many years? Please, you won't even miss it." Lacey said, taking another drink. Gold leaned back and sighed.

"I'd like to get some rest Lacey if you don't mind, I have quite a bit to do tomorrow." Gold said. He was in no state of mind to deal with her at the moment.

"You need help getting upstairs?" Lacey asked.

"I'm fine right where I am, thank you. You can use my room." Gold said.

"You're going upstairs, I'm not the one who's hurt this time. And this doesn't exactly look like a comfortable sofa." Lacey said.

"I said I'm fine." Gold said.

"And I said you're going upstairs." Lacey said adamantly. "Do you need help or not?"

"I can manage." Gold said. He took one more sip of his tea, set his cup down on the coffee table, and stood up. Lacey picked up the bottle of wine and sauntered away from him. Gold simply stared at her. She was still so beautiful, even – well, even like this, he thought to himself. Lacey turned to look at him.

"Aren't you coming?" Lacey asked. Gold gasped at the words as he recalled Belle saying the same to him so many years ago.

"Where are you going?" Gold asked.

"I'm going to help you get settled in bed, of course. Don't want you tripping and falling on anything else." Lacey said. Gold smiled a bit as he followed her up the stairs.

* * *

"There. You gonna be okay here tonight?" Lacey asked as Gold settled into bed.

"I'm fine. You don't have to coddle me." Gold said.

"You're very stubborn, aren't you?" Lacey asked.

"Always have been. Probably always will be." Gold said.

"I am too." Lacey said.

"I can tell." Gold said. Just as stubborn as Belle, he thought to himself.

"That's another thing we have in common then." Lacey said. "You sure you'll be alright here then?"

"Lacey – I'll be fine. You don't even have to stay the night, really." Gold said.

"Yes I do. My car is at your shop." Lacey said. "I'll manage downstairs, I'll check on you in the morning. Goodnight, Mr. – what is your name?" Lacey asked.

"It's Mr. Gold, dear. I thought I was the one who got knocked on the head." Gold said.

"No, I mean – I know you're Mr. Gold, but – what's your first name?" Lacey asked. Gold was quiet. "You do have one, right?"

"Of course I do." Gold said.

"Well, what is it?" Lacey asked. Gold looked down and tried to hide his frustration. He technically didn't have a first name – at least not in this land. Regina, always spiteful, didn't give him one. "Is it something weird? Were your parents hippies, did they name you Moonbeam or something like that?"

"Nothing like that. I just – why don't you just call me Rum?" he asked.

"Rum? Is that a nickname or something?" Lacey asked.

"Yes. That's exactly what it is." Gold said, relieved that she came up with a believable answer on her own.

"How'd you get it?" Lacey asked.

"Lacey – I'm tired, I have a headache – can we have this conversation some other time?" Gold asked.

"Yeah. Sure. Sorry, I just – was curious. Well, goodnight then. Rum." Lacey said, smiling at him as she left the room. He wasn't sure if it was the headache that made her particularly grating that evening, or the fact that, despite such a severely opposite persona in this land, she was clearly more like Belle than he wanted to admit. But the more time he spent with her, the more obvious it was. Belle was always chattering away in the Dark Castle, always asking questions, even when the answer was none of her business. He could barely tolerate it with Belle because through all of this annoying behavior of her, she chipped away at his hard exterior day by day until he couldn't help but love her and she almost broke his curse. Lacey was Belle's determination magnified by thousands. He wasn't sure how he was going to make it to the end of the week without her driving him completely mad. But he had to find a way. Despite this curse, and all that he needed to do to ensure that it be broken – he had to find a way to keep Lacey with him, and on his side, and hold onto her trust until this curse was broken and Belle returned, and somehow do all of this without doing anything that Belle would be upset by once she regained her memories. As Gold drifted off to sleep, he thought about how this may actually be more difficult than casting the curse in the first place.

* * *

Gold was awakened the next morning by the sound of rattling. He opened his eyes and was stunned to find Lacey rummaging through his closet – and wearing one of his suits. "What are you doing?" Gold asked, sitting up a bit. Lacey turned around.

"Hey – sorry, didn't mean to wake you. I was making too much noise, wasn't I?" Lacey said.

"That's my suit." Gold said.

"Yeah, I know. I was surprised how well it fit – a little big but it works. I love the pink." Lacey said. She was wearing his silk pink shirt with a black tie.

"Why are you wearing it?" Gold asked.

"Well, I came up here to check on you - wanted to make sure you were okay and everything. And I just got – curious. Wanted to know if you had anything in there besides suits. I guess not." Lacey said.

"That wasn't the question, dear." Gold said, trying not to be annoyed.

"Oh, yeah – I just wondered if it would fit. I mean – you're not exactly a – large man, and – so I tried it on. It looks nice, hmmm?" Lacey asked, and she spun around to model it for him. "You think I could borrow it?"

"Why on earth would you want to borrow one of my suits?" Gold asked.

"Well, for my show." Lacey said, and she bounced onto the bed and sat down next to Gold, who instinctively jumped away from her a bit. "I've got this idea. I can go out on stage dressed in the suit, with my hair up, and wearing a pair of black high heels with it. And I'll buy one of those cheap pair of reading glasses, I'll wear that too. And I'll carry a briefcase as well. And then – piece by piece – everything comes off." Gold just stared at her in disbelief. "What do you think?"

"You're not wearing one of my suits to strip. Take it off." Gold said adamantly.

"Whatever you like." Lacey said. She moved into a kneeling position on the bed and started to undo the tie. Gold grabbed her hand.

"I didn't mean HERE." Gold said. Lacey jumped off of the bed.

"You're no fun." Lacey said. "I'll buy my own suit, then."

"Do you know how much that suit cost, dearie? More than you make in in a month." Gold said.

"Yeah. I know." Lacey said, and she turned to look at him. "Maybe you could – give me a loan?"

"You want to borrow money? From me?" Gold asked in disbelief.

"Why not? Everyone else in town does." Lacey said. "You don't think I'll pay you back, do you?"

Gold thought about it for a moment. "I'll tell you what. I'll make you a deal. I'll loan you the money – if you come and work for me." Lacey laughed a bit.

"I told you Mr. Gold – I don't do housework." Lacey said.

"Oh, no, not doing that. I mean work at my shop. I haven't taken inventory in I don't know how long, and – I have many things. I just think it would be a good idea to – get more organized." Gold said.

"I'm not quitting the strip club." Lacey said.

"It wouldn't interfere with your other job. We can work out your hours and what your rate of pay would be, and – you'll work for me until we determine that the loan is paid off." Lacey thought about it for a moment.

"Okay. Deal." Lacey said. "When do I start?"

"As soon as you get out of my suit." Gold said. He stood up out of bed, grabbed his cane, and walked over to his dresser. He pulled out a box that was protected by a combination lock, then proceeded to open it. He pulled out a large amount of cash and handed it to Lacey. Lacey's eyes widened at the sight of it. "Too much?"

"No, this is – this is perfect. Wow." Lacey said, fingering the money and smiling.

"By the way – high heels and a skirt that leaves nothing to the imagination is hardly proper attire for doing inventory. There's enough money there for you to buy yourself something a bit more – appropriate. You'll be sorting through boxes and climbing on a few step stools and I don't need you falling." Gold said.

"I'm not the klutz. You're the one who whacked your head on the counter at your shop, not me." Lacey said.

"Just find something a bit more – sensible to wear for when you come to work for me." Gold said.

"Yes sir." Lacey said with a playful lilt in her voice. She moved toward the door with the money in hand, then stepped back inside when she remembered that her own dress was lying on the floor next to the closet, where she had tossed it while trying on Gold's suit. Lacey picked up the dress and flung it over her shoulder, then left the room. Gold moved toward the closet, opened it, took out a robe and put it on over his pajamas. As he walked out of his room, he found a trail of clothing that led toward the stairs. His tie was on the ground just outside the door. The suit jacket hung on the stairwell post. His pink shirt was flung onto the stairs halfway down. And his suit pants lay at the foot of the stairs as he reached the bottom.

Her panties were inside of them.

Gold couldn't help but wonder what in the hell he was getting himself into, all in the name of keeping Belle safe. The only thing he was certain of at that moment was, despite centuries of deal making – this time he was in way over his head.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the wonderful feedback so far! This chapter is a bit intense toward the end, and might be a trigger for some in regard to violence. Just FYI. 
> 
> Please see the end for an important A/N.
> 
> I do not own Once Upon a Time.

Lacey entered Gold's shop a bit after eleven thirty in the morning. Gold glanced up at her from behind the counter. "The shop opened at ten, dear." Gold said.

"Yeah, I don't normally DO ten on most days. At least not in the morning." Lacey replied. "So – does this outfit receive your stamp of approval, or do I need to do more shopping?" Lacey was wearing a pair of jeans, a t-shirt floral design that was covered in glitter, and a pair of silver sandals.

"It's fine. You'll be working in the back room anyway." Gold said.

"Seriously? You made me go out and get a whole new wardrobe only to relegate me to the back of the shop?" Lacey asked angrily.

"Well, you didn't think you'd be manning the storefront, did you? That's my job." Gold replied.

"I just thought we'd be – working more together." Lacey said playfully. She approached Gold and moved in close to him. "So, um – are we ever going to have that date or not?" Gold took a step away from her.

"You still want that, do you?" Gold asked.

"Well, yeah. I'm not above fooling around with the boss a bit. Especially when he's as nice as you are." Lacey teased. "So – what am I doing here?"

Gold took a deep breath. "Let's – go in the back." he said, and he led Lacey into the back room. She looked around in awe.

"Wow. Look at all of this – how did you get so many things?" Lacey asked.

"I'm not really sure. Sometimes I feel like they just – magically showed up here one day." Gold said. If only she knew how true that really was. "Anyhow – I would like for you to help me organize this room. Separate out the jewelry, knick-knacks, try to keep them categorically together. Do you think you can manage that?"

"It might take a while. But then again – I do need to work off my debt, right?" Lacey said. "Can I, um – can I bring in some music to listen to, this place is too quiet."

"I suppose that will be fine." Gold said.

"So, um – about that date." Lacey said.

"Yes, let's – let's discuss that later. I have a business transaction to take care of, I'll be gone most of the day. I'm closing the store front down, but – you can still work in the back." Gold said.

"Okay. Can I just go out in my car for a minute, I have my CD player in the trunk and some music to listen to." Lacey said.

"That'll be fine." Gold said.

"You trust me in here then? Alone? With all of these – things?" Lacey said.

"Of course I do." Gold replied. Lacey just smiled at him. Gold wasn't positive he _did_ trust Lacey – but he trusted Belle. And there was still part of Belle within her, he was certain of that. He had much to make up to Belle after the way he treated her in the Dark Castle. Gold hoped this would be a start.

* * *

Several hours later, Gold entered his shop, and was greeted by loud music playing, the voice of some man who apparently thought that screaming the word "Jump" repeatedly qualified as singing blaring above the far too loud instruments. The sound was clearly originating from the back room, but it permeated the entire shop. Gold marched into the back room, where Lacey was busy sorting through his things, oblivious to his entrance. He walked over to her boom box and turned it off.

"Hey!" Lacey shouted. "What are you doing?"

"I said you could listen to _music_. When you find some, please let me know, and then you can play it all you like." Gold said.

"You don't like Van Halen?" Lacey asked. Gold just stared at her blankly. "Let me guess – you're a Hagar man."

"I don't think so." Gold replied.

"How about AC/DC?" Lacey asked. Gold said nothing. "Def Leppard? Come on, you've got to like something."

"I prefer the classics." Gold replied.

"Like what, The Beatles? The Stones?" Lacey asked. "I can handle that, they're good."

"I was thinking more along the lines of Mozart or Chopin and even Mahler is tolerable depending on my mood." Gold said, relying on his cursed persona's musical tastes to answer her.

"Whatever." Lacey said. "I still say you need to loosen up. So – how was your business transaction?" Lacey asked.

"Went quite well, actually. Better than I even anticipated." Gold replied. He had obtained a favor in waiting from the Savior. That would certainly be useful down the road. "So – how much have you accomplished back here?"

"Well, I decided to start with the jewelry, get that all organized first." Lacey said.

"Well, that's good. You probably have a better eye for that sort of thing than I do." Gold said.

"You know, you have some really nice things back here." Lacey said. She reached onto the table and picked up one particular item and held it up in front of Gold. "This one is really pretty." Gold gasped. It was Belle's pendant; the one she always wore in the Dark Castle.

"You – you like that one?" Gold asked, sounding shocked.

"Yeah – I'm really not sure why. I just like it." Lacey said.

"Well then – it's yours." Gold said.

"I wasn't asking for it, I was just – it's just pretty, that's all." Lacey said. "Besides, it looks expensive."

"Doesn't matter. I want you to have it, Lacey." Gold said. He took the pendant from her hands, walked behind her, and placed it around her neck.

"You didn't have to do that. But thank you." Lacey said after she turned around and faced Gold. "So – how about that date?"

"Yes – I suppose we need to discuss that, don't we?" Gold asked. "What about – Keith?"

"What about him?" Lacey asked.

"You said you're not above – fraternizing with the boss. Does that include Keith?" Gold asked. Part of him didn't want to know the answer, but he knew he HAD to know. He had to know what he was going to have to contend with in regard to Nottingham if his plan to win Lacey over was going to work. Not that he actually _had_ a plan – but this information would certainly be helpful to him.

"Keith? Please. I do have standards." Lacey said.

"So you and Keith have never -"

"NO!" Lacey shouted, clearly offended. "Not for lack of trying on his part. But he does that with all of the girls."

"Has he ever hurt you, Lacey?" Gold asked, once again unsure that he wanted to know the answer.

"I can handle Keith. Why are we talking about this? What I do in my private life is none of Keith's business, he doesn't own me." Lacey said. "Especially since you're technically no longer a customer. Though I do miss seeing you. It's somehow not the same without you there. You know – I'm debuting my new routine tomorrow – the naughty businesswoman one I was telling you about. I wish you would come."

"I think its best that I – stay away." Gold said. "But as far as that date goes – how about you come over to my place for dinner on Sunday?"

"Alright." Lacey said. "You still have some of that good wine left?"

"As long as you didn't drink it all." Gold replied.

"I think I saved some." Lacey said. "You know – thank you. Rum."

"For what?" Gold asked.

"Being nice to me. No one is ever nice to me." Lacey said.

"Well, you – you deserve to be treated with respect, Lacey. I hope you know that." Gold said.

"Never really thought about it – until now." Lacey said. "Thank you for the necklace. You know – I don't really have much experience in doing nice things for people. But I promise – I'll think of something nice to do for you. I still don't understand why so many people think you're this – monster. I just don't see it."

"Thank you, Lacey. I really appreciate that." Gold said.

"We just need to work on your taste in music, that's all." Lacey said. Gold laughed a bit.

"Good luck with that." he stated. Just as with Belle, he had no idea what he was doing and assumed that there was no possible way she would ever want to be with him. But he was wrong then, and it was becoming clear that he was wrong once again. Of course she'd want to be with him. Even Mary Margaret and David, although cursed, were being drawn to one another. Why would he and Lacey be any different? They were, after all, true love – something he stubbornly refused to acknowledge in the Dark Castle. But now he had a second chance – at everything. He could find Bae, and have Belle. He just needed this curse to break, and he was determined to make it happen, no matter what it took.

* * *

Lacey exited the stage the next evening after performing her new act. The audience was slow to respond at first, but as she progressed in her dancing – and stripping – they reacted with excitement. In her dressing room after the show, Lacey changed back into her new clothes – the ones she bought to wear while working at Gold's shop. She actually liked them; the sandals were far more comfortable than those high heels she was always wearing, and she really liked the relaxed fit of the jeans. After getting dressed, Lacey reached into her handbag and pulled out the small gold pendant that Rum had gifted her with. She admired it for several minutes before putting it around her neck. She couldn't figure out what exactly made her like it so much. It really wasn't her style at all. It was simple, and plain, and – innocent. Lacey knew she was none of those things. And what about Rum, she wondered. She still wanted to know where that name came from. The only thing she could think of was he liked to drink Rum, and from what she observed, he was a casual drinker at best. She could probably drink him under the table in less than thirty minutes. He was a puzzle to her, this Mr. Gold. She couldn't understand why she was drawn to him, any more than she could figure out her desire to have that simple little pendant. He certainly wasn't her type, at least not physically. And not in any other way, really. They had very little in common. He was buttoned up and reserved and listened to music that she didn't understand. And yet – she liked him. At first she was drawn to his money and his wealth, but – it wasn't just that. Not anymore. Lacey's train of thought was interrupted by Keith barging into her dressing room.

"What the HELL were you doing out there?" Keith shouted at her.

"Um – my act. I thought it went over pretty well." Lacey said.

"You don't get to change your act without discussing it with me first." Keith shouted.

"Why not? I've been doing the same boring routine for as long as I can remember. I thought it was about time to shake things up a bit. Try something different." Lacey said.

"If I WANTED different I would have ASKED for different!" Keith screamed. "What's going on with you lately, Lacey? You show up half drunk to work, you change your act without discussing it with me and – look at you."

"What?" Lacey asked.

"What are you wearing?" Keith asked.

"I just bought some new clothes, that's all." Lacey said.

"You don't have the money to buy new clothes." Keith said, gritting his teeth. He got in her face. "What have you been up to?"

"My personal life isn't your business, Keith." Lacey said.

"You better not be thinking of walking away, Lacey. You know what happens when my girls try to walk away."

"You're not my pimp." Lacey stated angrily.

"Close enough. I _own_ you – don't forget that." Keith told her.

"Get away from me." Lacey said, and she picked up her bag and headed for the door, but Keith blocked her way.

"You found yourself a sugar daddy, didn't you? It's pretty obvious. The new clothes, the odd behavior. Who is he?" Keith asked. Lacey hesitated for a moment.

"Mr. Gold." Lacey said. Keith grabbed her and shoved her against the wall.

"You're not allowed to date customers." Keith growled.

"He's not a customer anymore. Why do you think he stopped coming here?" Lacey asked, trying unsuccessfully to pull away from him. She finally kneed him in the groin and broke free. Lacey grabbed her bag and raced out the door. She searched the bag for her cell phone as she ran. Keith stood up and raced after her. She found her phone and had almost reached her car when Keith grabbed her from behind.

"Don't even think about leaving me for that money grubbing bastard." Keith said angrily. He grabbed the phone out of her hand and threw it down the alley.

"Let me go!" Lacey screamed, pulling away from him. "I'll do whatever I like. Nobody decides my fate but ME!" Keith stared at her for a moment. "You're afraid of him, aren't you? Mr. Gold. You certainly were that one time, when he came backstage."

"You think I can't handle that arrogant gimp?" Keith taunted.

"He owns YOU, doesn't he? He owns this place, actually. I'm sure he wouldn't like to hear that you've been mistreating me." Lacey stated. Keith began to fume with even more anger.

"You think Gold will accept you? Please. He can dress you in all the fancy clothes and trinkets he can afford, but that doesn't change anything." Keith said, grabbing her once again and shoving her against her car. Keith fingered the small pendant she was wearing, then grabbed it roughly, ripped it off of her, and threw it onto the ground. "You know what they say. You can put all the lipstick you want on a pig. But it's still a pig. You'll never be anything more than a stripper. You're barely one step above a common whore." Lacey yanked herself away from his grip, lifted her hand up, and slapped him across the face.

"You little bitch!" Keith shouted. "I thought I've already shown you what happens to my girls when they argue with me. Apparently – you didn't get the message the first time." Keith once again grabbed her, shoved her roughly against her car, and began to force a kiss on her.

"NO! Stop it, I said NO!" Lacey screamed as she struggled to free herself of Keith's grip. She kicked him in the groin once again, this time with even more force, and he fell backward in pain. Lacey quickly picked up the broken pendant that was lying on the ground and got in her car. Lacey nervously fumbled for her keys, knowing that her locks were broken and Keith could easily get into the car. Just as he stood up, she found her keys, started the car, and drove off. In tears, Lacey could only think of one place to go where she knew she would be safe.

* * *

Gold was awakened by the sound of pounding on the door, his doorbell ringing continuously, and the sound of screaming outside, all of this noise loud enough for him to hear upstairs. He looked at the clock – it was almost one in the morning. Gold grabbed his bathrobe and put it on, then picked up his cane and hobbled down the stairs. The screams continued to get louder as he moved closer to the door. He recognized her voice immediately, and didn't even look through the peephole before he opened the door. Lacey fell into his arms, sobbing. Gold held her tightly as he closed and locked the door.

"I didn't know where else to go." Lacey said through her sobs.

"Lacey – what happened?" Gold asked as she continued to cling to him.

"I told him – about you. I didn't mean to, I just – he was being a jerk and I just wanted to do something to shut him up." Lacey said as she pulled away from him.

"Who?" Gold asked.

"Keith." Lacey replied. "He followed me out to my car. He took my phone, he broke the pendant you gave me and he tried to -" Lacey stopped and began to cry once again.

"Oh, sweetheart. Come here." Gold said, pulling her into a hug once again. As he held her close, Gold looked off in the distance bearing a look on his face that he didn't want Lacey to see on him. It wasn't a look that he wore often. In fact, it had been centuries since his face bore such an expression.

The recipient of that look was subsequently turned into a snail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N (to be deleted on July 3): For those of you who are on Tumblr: I just wanted to THANK YOU for nominating Lacey from this fic for BEST LACEY in The Espenson Awards. She is unopposed in this category and therefore WINS by default! I can't thank you enough for that! You are the best!
> 
> If you are on Tumblr, please follow my blog there, I am charmedrumbelle. I have four other nominations from three other fics competing in TEA and I would certainly appreciate your support and votes. Thank you!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Just a short little chapter for you - and thank you for all of your feedback for this story! 
> 
> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'

Gold ambled around his kitchen quietly that morning as he brewed a pot of coffee and made himself breakfast, as Lacey was still asleep on the sofa in the next room. He offered her his own room once again, but she refused, not wanting to deprive him of a good night's sleep when she had already disturbed him. Not that it would have mattered – Gold was up for most of the night anyway, barely getting an hour or two of sleep, as he pondered how he was going to contend with Keith Sherman without actually murdering the man, an option he did not truly rule out.

After finishing his coffee and breakfast, Gold silently peeked into the parlor. Lacey was curled up on the sofa, wearing nothing but one of his pajama tops that he loaned to her. The blanket that he had given her had fallen onto the floor. Gold made his way to her side and carefully covered her back up with the blanket. The movement caused Lacey to stir and begin to awaken.

"Rum?" Lacey whispered groggily as she began to sit up a bit.

"Go back to sleep. I didn't mean to wake you, your blanket fell, that's all." Gold said.

"What time is it?" Lacey asked.

"A bit after seven." Gold told her.

"Oh god." Lacey said, lying back down and snuggling back under the covers. "I don't think I've ever seen seven in the morning in my entire life."

"I told you – go back to sleep. No need for you to be up." Gold said.

"Why are _you_ up?" Lacey asked.

"I'm – a bit of a morning person most days." Gold admitted.

"On purpose?" Lacey asked in disbelief. "You have fun with that, then." Lacey buried her face in the pillow and pulled the blanket over her head. Gold smiled a bit, trying not to make a sound as he exited the room. He went back into the kitchen and poured himself another cup of coffee and sat down at the counter. Barely five minutes after he did so, Lacey entered the room. Her hair was a tousled mess, the top button on the pajama top she was wearing was unbuttoned, and she yawned as she moved toward him.

"Lacey, what are you doing in here?" Gold asked.

"Well, I'm up now. Might as well have some coffee." Lacey said. She reached into the cabinet for a coffee cup and poured herself a cup. Lacey glanced over at Gold as he drank his own coffee.

"Why do you always use that broken cup?" Lacey asked as she sat down next to him.

"It, um – has sentimental value." Gold replied.

"Sentimental of what, your clumsiness?" Lacey teased. "How'd you break that one?"

"Actually – I didn't break it. It was – someone else. Someone I cared about very much." Gold said.

"Oh, so this is about a woman, isn't it? Who was she?" Lacey asked.

"She was – she worked for me. She was my – caretaker. Cleaned my home, cooked my meals – she was a lovely person." Gold said.

"Was? Where is she now?" Lacey asked.

"She, um – she's gone." Gold said.

"Oh. I'm – I'm sorry." Lacey said. "You loved her, didn't you?"

"Yes I did. I just – it didn't end well between us, and – it was my fault. I just – didn't think I was loveable." Gold admitted. "But that was a long time ago. I was a different man back then. I made – many mistakes. Many – wrong choices. I would give anything to go back and – do things differently."

"Yeah. I get that. I miss my old life sometimes." Lacey told him.

"Your old life?" Gold asked. False memories – he knew she had to have them. Regina had created quite a back story for Mr. Gold, and he was definitely curious as to what was planted in Belle's false persona's mind.

"With my father. My mother left us when I was a little girl, it was just he and I for the longest time." Lacey said.

"My father left me when I was just a lad. So I understand that." Gold said.

"He was just so – overbearing, my papa. Trying to push me to pursue this or that path when I started to get older. I was a bit of a party girl in my teens and – well, I met Keith when I had turned eighteen. He spotted me at a nightclub, told me I might be good at – well, you know. What I do. He said it was good money. My father found out and – he pretty much disowned me. I've stopped by his shop a few times since then, but – he wouldn't even talk to me. Said I was a disgrace and that – as far as he was concerned, he had no daughter."

"Lacey, I'm sorry." Gold said, and he put his hand on top of hers.

"It's alright. I like what I do." Lacey admitted.

"Why? Why do you like doing that?" Gold asked.

"Well – when I'm up there on the stage – I can be – whoever I want. I can get lost in whatever tale I imagine for myself that evening. Most of the time I don't even notice the audience because – part of me isn't really there, you know? But I always noticed you. Isn't that funny? I always noticed you there. And you never, ever looked like you wanted to be there. It was almost as if you – had to be." Lacey said. Gold looked down, not knowing what to say. "I want to take a shower. Can I use your laundry, I want to wash my clothes too, they're pretty dirty from – well, you know."

"Yeah. That's fine." Gold said. Lacey stood up and started to leave the room, then turned around.

"What will you do to him?" Lacey asked.

"Who?" Gold asked in return.

"Keith." Lacey said. "Please don't – please don't go after him." Gold stood up and stared at her in disbelief.

"Lacey, do you really think I can just ignore what he did to you last night?" Gold asked. "I won't let him get away with that."

"Look – Keith has a temper, alright. Especially when he's been drinking, and I suspect he had a few too many before he started in on me yesterday. There's a good chance he won't even remember what happened last night, and if he does I – I can deal with it." she stated.

"Lacey, you're not going back after what happened, you can't possibly want to go back there." Gold said.

"Didn't you hear what I said before? I _like_ what I do. Keith is the worst part of it all and I can usually maneuver him to back off, last night was just an off day for me. I don't want you doing anything, he – I don't want him to hurt you, alright?" Gold chuckled a bit.

"Lacey – trust me – he won't hurt me." Gold told her.

"You can't take him on, are you insane? I mean – you – you're no match for him. I'm not trying to put you down or anything, but – you're not going to win that battle." Lacey said.

"Lacey, I think you'd be surprised at what I'm actually capable of. But don't worry – I will not be challenging Mr. Sherman to any sort duel if that's your concern. There are other things I can do to him that will be equally as painful." Gold said. "I do own the deed to his property after all."

"You gonna raise his rent?" Lacey asked, smiling a bit.

"Something like that." Gold replied. "Go on – go shower and – just worry about yourself. Let me deal with Mr. Sherman in my own way."

"Just don't do anything stupid." Lacey said, and she flitted out of the room.

"Don't intend to." Gold said to himself after she left. "At least not _yet_."

* * *

Gold entered the strip club early that afternoon. Keith was behind the bar organizing his bottles of alcohol. He looked up when Gold entered. "Gold." Keith said. "I'm not late on my rent, it's not due for another week." Keith said in a cocky tone. He was less nervous, more self-assured than usual. The curse was definitely weakening more and more each day, Gold observed.

"No, you're right on time with that, as always." Gold said, and he reached into his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. "You are, however – not quite up to code on a few things in the club." Gold pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Keith. "This has been submitted to the city's building regulations department. You have sixty days to comply with building codes – or the city will have no choice but to shut you down." Keith looked the paper over and slammed it down on the counter.

"YOU'RE the landlord! YOU fix it!" Keith shouted.

"Yes, I thought you might say that. I also just happen to have a copy of our rental agreement." Gold said, and he pulled out another paper and opened it to a specific page. "Now – as you'll see right here – your rental agreement states that I will pay for any and all upkeep to the property that would affect daily activities – plumbing problems, extermination issues, structural damage, that sort of thing. However – any changes to the appearance of the property made by the renter – well, it's your responsibility to make sure that the changes meet the standards of city building codes. You are the one who built the stage extensions, are you not?"

"With your permission." Keith stated.

"Yes – and with the understanding that, per your rental agreement, YOU would ensure ample seating space that is handicapped accessible." Gold said.

"Handicapped accessible? You're the only one who comes in here that would apply to! And you don't even come in here anymore!" Keith shouted, becoming angry.

"Yes, well – you do have to consider the safety of potential future customers. It's not just that – the sign outside – according to city requirements, it is three feet too large in height and is considered a nuisance. You did – have the sign crafted and installed, correct?" Keith looked both documents over, still fuming in anger. "Unfortunately, your rental agreement also states that any code violations that are caused by your upgrades that aren't repaired in the allotted time not only requires you to shut down your business – it also gives me the right to break your rental agreement and take back the property. You really should be more careful about reading the fine print when you sign a legal document, Mr. Sherman."

"That stage and the sign have been the way they are for as long as I can remember, and NO ONE has said a word to me!" Keith shouted. "It's only an issue because someone made it one."

"Yes, it appears that is the case. I can't imagine who would do such a thing. Perhaps you . . . . angered someone, and this was the most . . . . _legal_ way they could think of to let you know their . . . displeasure with you." Gold stated.

"I don't have the money to fix this. Not in two months." Keith said.

"Well then – I suppose that I will be the proprietor of a strip club in sixty days. Not exactly the business venture of my dreams but – I'm sure I can think of something to do with it." Gold said. He stood up, picked up his cane, and smiled to himself as he sauntered out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who nominated me for The Espenson Awards on Tumblr - Stripped's Lacey is OFFICIALLY the "Best Lacey of 2014"! 
> 
> XXXOOO
> 
> As always, I appreciate the feedback and I hope you're still enjoying the story! 
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

"There you are – good as new." Gold said as he placed the necklace around Lacey's neck. He had replaced the chain the pendant was on as it was damaged beyond repair after her run-in with Keith.

"Thank you." Lacey said. "So I guess I should get to work, then." she said, as she looked around the back room of the shop.

"No loud music." Gold told her.

"I'm going to get you to appreciate that music somehow." Lacey teased.

"Well, first off, you'd have to convince me that it's _music_. Good luck with that." Gold told her. "So um – we're still on for tomorrow night, right? Our date?"

"Yeah, of course. Where are we going?" Lacey asked.

"It's a surprise." Gold told her. Lacey smiled at him.

"I like surprises. Good ones, anyway." Lacey told him.

"Well – hopefully this will fall into that category. By the way, I'll get you a new phone next week." Gold said.

"You didn't have to do that." Lacey said.

"I don't want you being without a phone, not after what happened the other night." Gold said.

"You're too nice to me, Rum. Thank you." Lacey said, and suddenly the entire room began to shake. Both of them grabbed onto the nearest stationary object until the trembling was over. "What the bloody hell was that?" Lacey asked.

"I don't know." Gold said. "Felt like an earthquake."

"Since when do we get earthquakes in Storybrooke?" Lacey asked.

"Apparently now we do. I'd better go to the front of the store, make sure nothing is broken." Gold said. They both stared at each other awkwardly and smiled. "Well, get to work, then. I'm not paying you to do nothing."

"Alright." Lacey said, grinning at him a bit. Gold made his way into the main area of the shop just as the door opened and Moe French stepped inside.

"Well – Mr. French. To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from you?" Gold asked.

"I um – I know that I'm a bit behind on the rent. I'm doing my best, but – well – this is all I have for the moment." Moe said, and he handed Gold an envelope. Gold opened it and looked at it, then looked up at Moe. "I'll have more soon, I promise. I just need a couple more months to catch up."

"This is – nowhere near what is due to me, and you do realize that in a couple more months, there will be even more owed, right?" Gold asked.

"Business has been picking up recently. I promise – I'll have it all caught up soon. Please – just give me a chance to get back on track." Moe begged. Gold hesitated for a moment, then he took out a piece of paper and wrote on it for several minutes.

"I'll tell you what." Gold said as he handed Moe the piece of paper. If you can put together what I have written on this paper, and deliver it per my instructions on there – I'll call it even with you through the end of this month. After that – you'll be expected to continue with your monthly payments. Moe looked up with a look of shock and surprise on his face.

"Yes sir. I can do this, of course. Th-thank you, Mr. Gold. You won't be sorry." Moe said.

"See that I'm not." Gold said, and Moe slunk out of the shop, paper in hand. For many years, Gold, as Rumpelstiltskin, loathed the man Maurice, as he was known in their land. He had thought that this man tortured his lovely Belle, to the point of her choosing to die by her own hand.

Lies. All lies, perpetuated by Regina. At least the part about Belle dying was a lie; he couldn't be sure about the rest, but something within him told him that Regina lied about everything. Why did he even believe her in the first place? Perhaps for the same reason that he refused to believe in Belle's love for him – he was a coward. It was easier to accept that Belle was gone, than to accept that he had made the second-biggest mistake in his life by throwing Belle out of the Dark Castle.

He knew that, as Lacey, she had memories of her father being cruel and disowning her. Those memories, of course, were false, so he could hardly hold them against him. At the moment, he was unsure of what to think of Maurice or Moe French. But in any case – he was Belle's father. For that alone, he would give the man the benefit of the doubt – for now.

"Why did you do that?" Lacey asked, peeking around the door from the back room.

"You heard then?" Gold asked.

"Well, I couldn't help but hear – you won't let me play my music any longer." Lacey joked as she made her way out into the main area of the shop. "My father never has been good with money. That's probably where I get it from."

"Well – everyone is entitled to a second chance." Gold said. "Why didn't you come out to see him?"

"He doesn't want to see me. I haven't seen him in – I'm not even sure how long it's been, really." Lacey told him.

"You got on with him well before, then?" Gold asked.

"Of course I did. He's my father. He just – we just disagreed on too many things. I told you – he doesn't approve of what I do."

"Lacey – you don't have to work there any longer. You can work here, for me. Full time. I'll match whatever you make regularly – and add a little more. Maybe so that you could – find a nicer place to live." Gold suggested. He knew Belle well enough to know not to push her into doing things against her will, and even as Lacey she was just as independent. But if it was her decision – she might consider it.

"I'll think about it. Thank you." Lacey said, then went back into the other room.

That wasn't a 'no', Gold thought to himself. Perhaps he was reaching her after all.

* * *

Lacey sat alone at a table at The Rabbit Hole, the glass of beer she was nursing half empty. It was early evening, and Ruby stopped when she saw her sitting alone, staring off into space. "Lacey – you okay?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah – fine. You want to sit?" Lacey asked.

"Sure." Ruby said, and she sat down. "Haven't seen you around here much lately."

"Well, I've been – busy." Lacey said.

"Did you hear about the cave-in earlier today, over where some of the kids like to play?" Ruby asked.

"I think I felt it. So that's what that was." Lacey said.

"Yeah – Henry Mills, the mayor's kid – he got trapped in there with Dr. Hopper. They just got them out, they're both okay." Ruby said.

"Well that's good." Lacey replied.

"So what have you been up to that's kept you away from here?" Ruby asked.

"I, um – I'm thinking about quitting my job." Lacey said.

"Wow. That's, um – that's huge. Good for you. I mean – not that I'm judging what you do or anything, just -" Ruby began.

"It's okay. Keith and I kind of – had a little argument the other day and – it didn't end well." Lacey said.

"He's such a jerk. You know one time I caught him at the diner deliberately dropping my tip money on the floor so that he could look up my skirt while he picked it up." Ruby told her. "My grandmother saw him too, I thought she was going to whack him over the head with a tray." Lacey laughed a bit.

"It'd serve him right." Lacey replied.

"So if you quit – what would you do?" Ruby asked.

"I um – that's the thing. There's this guy." Lacey said.

"Oh, okay, I get it. You've got a boyfriend. Who is he?" Ruby asked.

"Well, he's – he's a little older than me. And he's not – conventionally handsome, but – he's attractive in his own way. He has a lot of money, and I'll be honest, that was the main thing that even drew me to him in the first place, but – I've gotten to know him fairly well and – he's very sweet. He gave me this necklace." Lacey began to finger the necklace she was wearing.

"That's – beautiful. It doesn't look cheap." Ruby said. "You know – it's funny, but – until you got to the he's very sweet part – I thought you were talking about Mr. Gold." Lacey smirked a bit. "No! Mr. Gold? Seriously?"

"He used to be a customer of mine, but – he stopped coming to my shows so that – we could see each other. We have a date tomorrow night." Lacey told her. Ruby just stared at her silently, a look of disbelief on her face. "What? Ruby, he's not that bad."

"Everybody hates him, Lacey. He's creepy." Ruby said.

"I just don't think people have bothered to get to know him. I mean, yeah, he has money, lots more than most people in town, but – that doesn't make him a bad person. He's very nice to me." Lacey said.

"That's cause he wants to sleep with you. Come on Lacey, I didn't think you were that naive." Ruby said.

"No, it's not like that – he hasn't even made that kind of move on me." Lacey said. "I just – he's not my typical type, you know. I usually like the bad boys."

"Well, he kinda qualifies – I guess." Ruby said.

"I don't think so." Lacey said. "That's my biggest fear – I mean, he's so sweet and caring – well, I like all of the attention he gives me, but – what if I get bored with it at some point?"

"Well, there's always the money." Ruby suggested.

"There is that." Lacey said. "He wants me to come and work for him at his shop. Full time. Said he'd pay me equal and beyond what I make currently."

"What are you gonna do?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know. I really do like – what I do. I like the attention, I guess. But it's – when I strip – I have ALL of the power. It's hard for a woman around here to have power – unless you're the mayor, of course. But – working for Keith – Ruby, he tried to – well, you know – force me to -"

"Oh, Lacey, I'm sorry. What did you do?" Ruby asked.

"I fought him off, and I went to Rum's house." Lacey said.

"Rum?"

"Mr. Gold. That's what he told me to call him." Lacey said.

"Why Rum?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know, to be honest. He hasn't told me. He said it's a nickname, but – I have no idea for what. He doesn't drink rum. I can't think of what else it would stand for." Lacey said.

"Yeah me either." Ruby said, then she paused for a moment. "Hey – I've got it! Rumpelstiltskin!" she suggested, and both of them started to laugh.

"You mean the short, creepy little guy that steals babies?" Lacey asked.

"Yeah." Ruby said, and then she stopped. "You know – he was gonna take Ashley's baby. And he is short. And creepy. And nobody knows his first name – even you don't."

"Oh, come on." Lacey said.

"No, think about it. Especially if Henry Mills's little idea is true." Ruby said.

"What idea?" Lacey asked.

"Oh, nothing, just – Henry has this idea that we're all fairy tale characters, and that we're cursed, and that we're not who we think we are." Ruby said. "He thinks I'm Red Riding Hood."

"Well, you do like to wear red. And you live with your grandmother." Lacey said. "Who do you think I'd be?"

"I don't know. I'd have to ask Henry." Ruby said. "But that would be encouraging him and – poor kid has enough on his plate with his bio mom coming to town, no wonder he has these fantasies."

"Can you imagine who Keith would be? Probably some nasty villain. Were there any skeevy perverts in fairy tales?" Belle asked, and both of them laughed. "You know what – I'm gonna do it."

"What, quit and go work for Mr. Gold?" Ruby asked.

"Why not? At least Rum won't drunkenly grope at me all the time." Lacey said.

"No, he'll just want you to give him your first-born child." Ruby said, and they both laughed again.

* * *

"Well – look who decided to show up." Keith said as Lacey entered the strip club.

"I just came to get my things. I'm quitting." Lacey said, and she sauntered down the hall and toward her dressing room. Keith followed her.

"You don't get to quit, Lacey." Keith said, standing in the doorway of her dressing room.

"Watch me." Lacey replied. Keith closed the door and leaned up against it.

"You know – your boyfriend Mr. Gold showed up here the other day." Keith said.

"What'd he do, raise your rent?" Lacey asked.

"No, though I'm guessing that's next on his list. Actually, he filed a complaint. Some non-compliance issues with the club that nobody gave a crap about until our little – disagreement." Keith said.

"Disagreement? You were trying to rape me, Keith. That's more than a disagreement." Lacey said, as she continued to collect her belongings.

"Well, anyway, I um – I can't raise that kind of money in the amount of time required and so I – decided to have a little chat with one of our top paying clients. You know Albert Spencer, right? The DA?" Keith said. "Well, he's um – he's interested in some private dance sessions. Willing to pay top dollar for them. And he wants you – and only you."

"Well – guess you're screwed then." Lacey said. "I don't do private dances – and even if I did – like I said – I quit." Keith moved in closer to her.

"You know, um – I heard rumors that your boyfriend got whacked around pretty good by that little pregnant teenage girl – Amy what's her name?"

"Ashley Boyd." Lacey said.

"Yeah, Ashley, that's it. Anyhow – my understanding is all she had on her was a can of mace and load of determination. You know, Gold may strut around this town like he's the ruler of it or something, and yeah he has money and power, but – he's a pretty little guy, isn't he? Lame, too? If a pregnant teenager can take him on and win – can you imagine what someone bigger than him could do?"

"You wouldn't get away with it. I'd tell." Lacey said.

"Yes, I'm sure that the town's number one stripper would be a stellar witness in court. Especially with my friend Albert Spencer on MY side." Keith said. "However, if you – choose to stay on here for – well, however long I need you – I'll leave Gold be." Lacey was quiet. "Because I'm a generous man, I'll give you till tomorrow night to decide. Spencer will be here tomorrow at eight. If you're here - we'll just forget that this little conversation even happened. But if not – well – bad things happen sometimes? Don't they?" Keith opened the door and walked out of the room.

* * *

Lacey barely slept that night. She still didn't have a phone to call Mr. Gold, and she couldn't even if she wanted to, because she didn't have his number written down, it was in the phone that Keith destroyed several days before. She ran through everything in her mind several times. Lacey never was one to care much about anyone but herself, but – all of a sudden – she realized that she cared about this man. And she wasn't going to risk anything happening to him. She knew what she had to do.

* * *

Gold pulled up at Lacey's apartment, dressed in his best suit. He had a lovely dinner prepared for them in the park. He got out of his car and walked to her apartment door, thinking the entire time what a horrible neighborhood this was. This was not a place that his Belle should be living in. Hopefully that would change soon – things were progressing far better than he anticipated. He was just about to knock on the door when he saw a note taped to it. Gold picked up the note and read it.

_Rum:_

_Something unexpected came up. I can't make our date tonight. Your number was in my old phone or I would have called you. I'm very sorry._

_L._

Gold crumpled up the letter, closed his eyes, and sighed. Deep down he knew that something like this would be coming. A girl as lovely as Belle – even in her cursed state – she could never want to be with a monster like him.

* * *

"Well, Mr. Spencer – good to see you." Keith said as he led Lacey into the private room where Albert Spencer sat waiting. "You know Lacey, of course?"

"Well, we haven't officially met, but – I've had my eye on you for some time." Spencer said.

"Thirty minutes, no touching above the waist or in the crotch area, and no kissing. There's a bouncer right outside the door. Have fun." Keith said. Lacey glared at Keith as he left the room. She walked over to the boom box and turned on some music, then looked at Spencer nervously.

"Well, come on over. I'm waiting." Spencer said, patting his lap to motion for her. Lacey slowly made her way over to him, and straddled his lap. "By the way – you can be as rough as you want. I don't mind." Lacey cringed at the thought, but said nothing. She began to writhe on his lap to the rhythm of the music as she slowly unbuttoned her top. Once she removed her top she wrapped it playfully behind Albert Spencer's neck. She then moved her hands up and down his chest as he moaned and grunted. Lacey closed her eyes, and fighting back tears as she continued with her strip tease, she let her imagination escape to a place where she was supposed to be that evening – a romantic evening with Mr. Gold.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy this chapter, and thank you for your kind reviews! 
> 
> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time'.

Lacey entered Gold's shop a little after ten that morning. Gold was standing behind the counter, looking through one of his ledgers.

"Hi." Lacey whispered quietly.

"I want you to work on the boxes I have stacked on the table today." Gold said, not looking up.

"Okay." Lacey replied, and she headed toward the back room. She got about halfway inside, then stopped. "I'm sorry." she said, standing in the doorway.

"No matter." Gold replied, still not looking up.

"I couldn't help it. I didn't want to miss our date, but – this was – kind of an emergency." Lacey told him. Gold didn't reply. "Please don't be mad at me, Rum."

"I'm not." Gold said, still not looking up at her.

"I would have called if I could have, you know that." Lacey said.

"Your new phone will be in later today. Please get to work, I need the space back there cleared for a project I'll be working on." Gold told her.

"What kind of project?" Lacey asked.

"Nothing that concerns you." Gold replied. Lacey bit her lip and looked down sadly. He hadn't even made eye contact with her once. He may have told her that he wasn't angry – but he was. For some reason – she could read this man better than anyone she had ever known. Lacey thought about telling him the entire thing – about Keith, Spencer, and how the only reason she missed their date was to keep him safe. However, she feared that would only make things worse. Perhaps the best thing she could do at the moment was her job. Lacey quietly slunk into the back room without saying another word.

* * *

The entire day passed with barely a word uttered between the two of them. She had hurt him, badly, by missing their date. Normally, Lacey wouldn't even care about such things. But for some reason, which she still didn't understand – she cared about Mr. Gold very much. For as long as she could remember, Lacey's only concern was herself. Until now. Something about the way she saw things, and the way she felt things had changed recently. Lacey wasn't exactly sure why that was. It just was – and this feeling simply grew stronger every day, especially as she spent more time around Mr. Gold.

She recalled her father's visit to Mr. Gold's shop, and Gold's marching orders to her father regarding a delivery. The more she thought about it, she realized that this order probably had something to do with the plans he had for their date. Lacey hadn't spoken to her father in years – she couldn't even recall how many years it had been. But she wanted to know what Gold had planned, and there was only one way to find this out.

After she left Gold's shop that afternoon, Lacey did something she swore she would never do again – she visited her father's shop.

Lacey entered the shop quietly, carefully closing the door behind her as she made her way inside. Moe French was standing behind the counter, his back to her. "Hello, Father." Lacey whispered as she moved toward the counter. Moe turned around. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"I don't have any money." Moe said, and he continued about his business.

"I don't want any money from you. I have a job." Lacey said.

"Yes, I'm aware of what you do." Moe said, practically spitting the words at her.

"I'm trying to get out. I have another job now – part-time, but – I'm hoping it will be full-time at some point. I just need to take care of a few things." Lacey told him.

"Hustling pool at the Rabbit Hole does not count as a part-time job." Moe replied.

"No, not that – I – I work in a shop. In midtown. I take inventory and do stocking. I like it." Lacey said.

"And what self-respecting shop owner in midtown would hire you?" Moe asked. Lacey hesitated for a moment.

"Mr. Gold." she finally replied. "He's been very kind to me."

"Well. That makes sense now, doesn't it? Two peas in a pod, both of you."

"He's a very nice man." Lacey said.

"He's a bastard. Ask anyone. But I'm sure you pay him just as well as he does you. If you've come here to shock me, Lacey, you haven't succeeded." Moe said. "I have work to do, excuse me."

"Father – I won't bother you any longer, I just – you had a delivery for Mr. Gold and – I wanted to know where it was. I um – I was supposed to go pick some things up from there, and – well I wrote down the address and I lost it, and I don't want him to know so – that's all I wanted." Lacey said, hoping he would believe her. "You did – make the delivery, right?"

"Of course I did." Moe said, and he took out a piece of paper and wrote something down, then handed it to Lacey. "Now – please leave."

"Thank you – Father." Lacey said.

"I'm not your father. Not anymore." Moe said.

"No, you're not." Lacey said. She rushed out of the shop, fighting back tears.

* * *

After pulling herself together, Lacey found her way to the location that her father had written down on the paper. She parked her car and got out. But this wasn't any – PLACE, this was – an undeveloped property. It was nothing but trees and empty land – why on earth would Mr. Gold want to bring her here, she wondered? If this was even the place he was going to bring her to. Lacey began to wander onto the very large mass of empty land, when she saw something glowing in the distance. Curious, she made her way toward the illuminated area. She gasped in awe of what was there.

An entire outdoor dining area had been set up, complete with table and chairs, a bottle of wine, and lights strung around the entire area, accompanied by an array of floral arrangements. It must have cost him quite a bit to set up this scenario, which was obviously all for her.

"Oh, Rum – I'm so sorry." Lacey said to herself. She walked toward the table and picked up the bottle of wine. If there was one thing that Lacey knew, it was wine – and this was a particularly expensive vintage. He had obviously set it out there to be chilled, but the ice had long since melted. "No sense in this going to waste." Lacey said, and she picked up the bottle and walked off.

* * *

Later that evening, Lacey passed a young man exiting Gold's shop as she entered. "Who was that?" Lacey asked.

"Just a young man who is – a bit lost. His name is David Nolan." Gold said.

"Oh, I read about him, he was the one in the coma, right?" Lacey asked.

"Yes. Very sad story." Gold said. "What are you doing here, I was just about to close."

"I found the place you were going to take me last night." Lacey said. Gold was quiet. "I'm sorry, Rum. I really am. I want to make it up to you. Have you had dinner yet?"

"I have not." Gold said.

"Good. I stopped at the store and picked up some things and – I'd like to come over to your place and make dinner for you tonight. If that's not too presumptuous of me." Lacey said.

"Actually, it is. But – I suppose that'll be alright. Provided that you actually know how to cook." Gold said.

"Of course I do – I'm just not very good at it early in the morning. I won't set off your smoke alarm again, I promise." Lacey said. "I don't want you to be angry with me, Rum – last night was – just something that I had to do, I promise, I would have so much rather been with you."

"Where were you, Lacey?" Gold asked. "What was so important that you had to cancel our plans?"

"I was – I had to work." Lacey said.

"Sherman. I should have known." Gold said, an angry look coming over his face. "I told you that you don't have to work for him any longer."

"I know – but I owe him some – it's complicated, Rum. But I do promise you – as soon as my debt to him is paid – I'll quit." Lacey said.

"What debt?" Gold asked.

"Nothing that concerns you." Lacey said.

"Lacey, if you owe that bastard money I can take care of that for you." Gold said.

"No – I don't want you to get involved in this, Rum. I can fight my own battles." Lacey told him. "Please – just let me handle this. And I promise you – I won't ever stand you up again."

"I want you away from that place, Lacey. And that – man." Gold told her. "I don't like him. I never have."

"I've never really cared much for him, either. I know what I'm doing, Rum. Just trust me." Lacey said. Gold sighed.

"Your new phone came – here, it's all activated and ready to use." Gold said as he reached into a drawer and handed her the phone. Lacey looked it over.

"This is a smart phone – those are expensive." Lacey said. "You spoil me."

"You deserve it." Gold said.

"I'm not sure how you figure that." Lacey said.

"I have my reasons." Gold replied.

"So we're – okay then? You're going to start talking to me again?" Lacey asked.

"Well, we'll see how you do with dinner. If the fire department doesn't have to be contacted, then I'll consider it." Gold teased, and Lacey laughed a bit. "Come on – let's go."

* * *

Gold and Lacey sat in the dining room finishing up their dinner. "I have to admit – you're a far better cook than I expected." Gold said, taking a sip of his wine. Lacey had brought in the wine bottle she took from his outdoor setup, chilled it, and served it with dinner. Between them they had finished off most of the bottle.

"Well, I did have to cook for my father for many years." Lacey said. "I saw him today, by the way. My father. That's how I found your little hideaway for our date."

"How did that go?" Gold asked.

"Well, I told him about you. He said that we were 'two peas in a pod', and that he was no longer my father. Nice, right?"

"I'm sorry, Lacey. I really am." Gold said.

"Hey – his loss, I don't need him." Lacey said, pouring herself the rest of the wine. "I don't understand why he said what he did about you, though. Or why anyone says those things. I just don't see it."

"You were always able to see past it." Gold said.

"What do you mean?" Lacey asked.

"Um, nothing just – many people in this town don't understand me, Lacey. But you do." Gold said.

"That's because they don't know you like I do." Lacey said, and she downed the rest of the wine. "You got any more?"

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Gold asked.

"Oh, come on, we're just getting started. It's my night off, let me enjoy it." Lacey said. She stood up and walked into the kitchen, then began rummaging through Gold's alcohol display. "Aha – jackpot!" Lacey shouted, taking out a bottle of whiskey that hadn't even been open. She then searched through the cabinets and found two shot glasses. "How about you and I play a little game tonight? Ever hear of Truth or Dare?"

"Of course I have." Gold said.

"Well – this is a little variation on that – it's called Truth or Drink. I play it all the time with my friends at the Rabbit Hole. Come on." Lacey said.

"I think we've both had enough to drink." Gold said.

"Oh come on – you need to loosen up, that's your problem." Lacey said, and she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his chair. "Starting with this." Lacey undid his tie, removed it, and tossed it onto the chair. She then unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and eased off his suit jacket, leaving it on the chair with the tie. "There – now isn't that more comfortable?" Gold sighed.

"What do we do?" Gold asked.

"Well first – we go into the parlor and sit down – come on." Lacey said, and she took his left hand, still holding the whiskey and shot glasses in her own left hand. They sat down together on the sofa, and Lacey set the shot glasses down on the coffee table and opened the bottle of whiskey. She poured two shots and set the bottle down. "Now – here's how it works. We take turns asking each other questions. And you have the option to either answer honestly, or take a shot. Keep in mind that the questions should get – more personal as the game goes on."

"How do you know if one is telling the truth?" Gold asked.

"Well, that's the fun of it. The questions should be ones that are – hard to make up lies for. And then again – if you play long enough, you kind of tell the truth without even thinking about it." Lacey said.

"Well – I've never been one to lie, so – what's the harm?" Gold asked. "Can I go first?"

"Go ahead. Ask away." Lacey said.

"What does Keith Sherman have on you that's preventing you from quitting your job?" Gold asked. Lacey thought about it for a moment, then she grabbed a shot glass and downed. "Really? Don't want to tell me that, do you?"

"We don't get to judge what we choose not to answer. Part of the rules." Lacey said. "My turn. Why do people in this town think that you're such a bastard?"

"Most of them owe me money. That hardly makes me many friends." Gold said.

"Well, I owe you money and I don't think that." Lacey said. "Personally, I think they're all idiots, every last one of them. Including my father."

"Would you like to reconcile with your father? If you could?" Gold asked.

"Of course I would. But I just don't see that happening. He's made it very clear that – he wants no part of me." Lacey replied. "What was your father like?" Gold grabbed one of the shot glasses and drank it down. "That bad, hmmm?" Lacey asked as she re-filled the shot glasses.

"You have no idea." Gold replied. "Did you first agree to go out with me because I had money?" Lacey grabbed one of the shot glasses and downed it. "Oh, come on – you can admit it, I won't hold it against you. Besides, drinking the shot kind of gives away your answer."

"If your former maid – the one that you said you were in love with – if she came back – would you choose her over me?" Lacey asked. Gold grabbed a shot glass and drank it down. "Well, now I have my answer to that one."

"No you don't." Gold said.

"It's not that difficult to figure out." Lacey said.

"It's far more complicated than you realize, trust me." Gold told her. The two of them continued their game for nearly an hour, both of them downing at least six shots of straight whiskey. Between that and the bottle of wine they had shared, they were both feeling quite inebriated at that point. It came to, once again, be Lacey's turn to ask a question.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"It's Mr. Gold." Gold replied.

"No – what's your FIRST name?" Lacey asked. Gold hesitated for a moment, then grabbed a shot glass and drank it down. "Seriously? You won't even tell me that?"

"Tell you what. Guess." Gold said.

"Okay – let's make it interesting. For every wrong guess – you take a shot." Lacey said.

"Why do I have to take a shot for that?" Gold asked.

"My game, my rules. Well, it has to be something odd or you'd tell me. Let's see. Ichabod." Gold took a shot. "Hmmm. Bruno." Gold took another shot. "How about . . . . Sylvester?" Gold poured two more shot glasses and downed one of them.

"You'll never guess." Gold said, his voice turning sing-songy and childish, much to Lacey's surprise. Laughing to herself, Lacey recalled the conversation that she and Ruby had the other night.

"How about . . . . . . Rumpelstiltskin?" she asked, and she started to giggle. Gold just stared at her in disbelief. "Well come on – take your drink." Lacey said, waving the shot glass in his face. He simply stared at her. "No bloody way." Lacey said, and she downed the shot herself.

"Where did you hear that name?" Gold asked. Lacey poured herself another shot and drank it down.

"I think I should stay here tonight, I probably shouldn't drive." Lacey said.

"No, you shouldn't. I mean you shouldn't drive, not – stay here. I mean you should stay here." Gold said, and Lacey started to laugh.

"You want to go upstairs? Rumpelstiltskin?" Lacey asked.

"Yes." Gold replied quietly. Lacey picked up the bottle of whiskey, which was nearly empty, and carried it with her as they both stumbled up the stairs and into the bedroom. They both plopped onto the bed together in a sitting position. Lacey nearly spilled the whiskey but caught it in time, and drank straight from the bottle.

"This is good whiskey, where'd you get it?" Lacey asked.

"I made a deal for it." Gold replied.

"Well, that was a – very smart deal you made. You want some more?" Lacey asked.

"I don't think so. I don't feel well." Gold said.

"That's cause you're drunk. You don't get drunk very often, do you? You like to be in control, I can tell." Lacey said.

"Used to drink quite a bit. After I lost you." Gold said.

"What do you mean lost me, I'm right here." Lacey said.

"She told me you had died. Why did I believe her, I never should have believed her." Gold said.

"Who told you I died?" Lacey asked.

"Regina. Spiteful bitch." Gold said.

"Regina? The mayor? Why would she say a thing like that, I don't even know her." Lacey said.

"I can kiss you here. Why didn't I think of that before, I can kiss you here. Then you can remember." Gold said. "May I kiss you?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Lacey said. She set the whiskey bottle down on the nightstand and moved closer to him. Their lips touched gently, and they kissed for several minutes. When they finally pulled apart, Gold looked up at her.

"Did it work?" he asked, touching her cheek.

"It certainly did for me." Lacey replied, and she moved in to kiss him again, this time unbuttoning his shirt as she did so. "You want this, right?" Lacey asked.

"No." Gold replied. "No, this isn't right. It didn't work."

"What didn't work?" Lacey asked.

"The kiss. It's not true love's kiss, that's why it didn't work. You have to be Belle for it to work." Gold said.

"I can be whoever you want me to be, just tell me what you want, Rum." Lacey said.

"I want you to be Belle. My beautiful Belle." Gold told her, and he pulled her into another kiss. "Please come back to me, Belle. Please." he begged, starting to cry a bit.

"Alright, alright – it's okay, I can be her for tonight, we probably won't remember any of this anyway." Lacey said. "So – tell me about Belle."

"You were so beautiful in that gold dress – I couldn't believe you came with me. Willingly." Gold said as Lacey pulled back the covers on the bed.

"Boy, you really get into this role play thing, don't you? Okay. What do you want me to do for you?" Lacey asked as she removed Gold's shirt, tossing it onto the floor. "You want a little private dance from me? I don't have any music here, but – I can hum."

"I just want you to tell me I'm not a monster. I didn't believe you before." Gold said, and he lay back on the bed.

"You don't look like much of a monster to me." Lacey said, and she removed her own top and tossed it aside. She climbed on top of him and kissed him. "I think you're very handsome."

"And I think you're beautiful. And I love you. Belle." Gold closed his eyes and sighed, then became silent.

"Rum?" Lacey said, shaking him a bit, and he started to snore quietly. "I suppose I should go to sleep too." Lacey removed her jeans and just before she was about to toss them onto the floor, she took her new phone out of her pocket. "Belle – I wonder why Belle?" she said to herself. She looked at her phone, and opened the internet app, and typed in the word Belle to do a search. "Oh, forget it – probably nothing." she said, and she set the phone on the nightstand, her web search still open, and snuggled into Gold's arms. "Goodnight – Rumpelstiltskin." she whispered before she drifted off to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks for your feedback! I'm glad so many are enjoying this story!
> 
> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'

Gold groaned as he awakened the next morning. He was lying on his left side, and it felt like someone was taking a hammer to his skull and pounding it relentlessly. He had a tight grip on something soft with his right arm; he presumed it was one of his pillows. Gold slowly opened his eyes, and found himself looking upon a stream of long, dark hair that his face was practically buried in. It was at that moment that he realized what he was gripping was not, in fact, a pillow. His arm was wrapped tightly around her. He had one of her breasts cupped in his hand. Gold gasped and immediately pulled away from her and sat up. "Oh god." Gold said out loud. He looked down at his state of dress – or undress as it appeared to be. He wore nothing from the waist up. He glanced over at Lacey, who had shifted a bit in her sleep. She wore only her bra and panties. Gold nervously looked under the blankets, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was still wearing his pants.

Gold sat quietly in bed as he tried to piece together the events that took place the night before. Lacey came to the shop. She found the setup he had prepared for their date that never happened. She was apologetic and clearly upset over the entire incident, and he simply had to forgive her. She was his weakness, and at that moment he realized that he would do whatever she wanted just to have her close to him. She offered to come to his home and cook dinner, and he accepted. They had a lovely dinner, a bit too much wine, and then – she suggested a game, which under normal circumstances he would have not even contemplated taking part in, but – he was having a bit of difficulty saying no to her, especially after his rejection of her that cost both of them years apart, not to mention who knows what sort of turmoil that she faced at the hands of Regina during the time that he thought her to be dead.

His memories of the evening started to get a bit fuzzy after that. That was his own doing; he should have been far more temperate in regard to his alcohol intake. Apparently they somehow made their way upstairs, which he had no recollection of, they were both in a state of semi-undress, which indicated to him that, while it was unlikely that anything happened, it certainly wasn't from lack of trying on their part. And Lacey was now asleep in his bed. With him. Wearing nothing but her underwear.

Suddenly a wave of nausea and dizziness hit him, and he searched desperately for his cane. He looked to the right of his bed, and found nothing. "Where is it? Where's my cane?" Gold whispered quietly to himself. He eased himself out of bed, barely able to stand upright. Damn leg, he thought to himself, quietly cursing his mortality in this realm. Holding onto the edge of the bed, his foot hit something on the floor, causing him to trip and fall. He'd found his cane, apparently.

"Oh, damn." Gold cursed loudly, unsure of what was worse: the throbbing in his head, the dizziness, the nausea, or the searing pain in his ankle that he had now twisted and made worse than before. The noise of his fall coupled with his cursing was enough to awaken Lacey.

"Oh bloody hell – what's going on?" Lacey asked out loud, barely opening her eyes and burying her face in her hands.

"I think I need some help here." Gold whined, still lying on the floor. Lacey sat up, and immediately felt sick to her stomach.

"Rum?" Lacey asked, looking around until she finally spotted him on the floor next to the bed. "Oh my god, what happened? Owwwwww." Lacey said, grabbing her head in pain as she moved toward him carefully.

"I was looking for my cane. Found it." Gold said. "I feel sick."

"You're not the only one. Can you stand?" Lacey asked.

"At this point I'm wondering if crawling is a better option. Oh god, that was loud, wasn't it?" Gold said, cringing at the sound of his own voice.

"A bit. Come on – hang on to me." Lacey said as she helped him stand, which was difficult considering that she could barely do so herself. Gold winced as he accidentally put weight on his right leg.

"Next time you want to play a drinking game remind me to water down the liquor." Gold said.

"Next time we'll be using lemonade, trust me." Lacey said as she helped Gold into the attached bathroom. Gold practically collapsed onto the floor when they reached the toilet bowl, and proceeded to retch for over a minute while Lacey, catching her breath, sat down on the floor next to him.

"Are you done?" Lacey asked when he appeared to have finished.

"I think so." Gold replied.

"Good. Move over then." Lacey said, and she took her own turn with the toilet bowl. When she finished, she turned to look at Gold, who was lying on the floor on his back, moaning in pain. "Are you okay?" Lacey whispered.

"No. Not okay." Gold replied weakly. "I think I may have sprained it. My ankle."

"You want me to call an ambulance? I barely got you in here, I don't think I can get you downstairs." Lacey said as she moved next to him.

"I'll be fine. Probably just need a day or two of rest and an ice pack. Make that two ice packs – my head needs one as well." Gold replied.

"Maybe three – my head is pounding pretty bad." Lacey said. "Come on – let's get you back to bed."

"I'm fine here." Gold mumbled.

"The floor is cold and you need to elevate your leg. Come on – just be really careful." Lacey said, and she slowly helped him up. Hopping on his good leg, he leaned on her as she slowly led him back to bed. They both breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the bed.

"Can you, um – get me a pair of my pajamas? I don't think I'll be going anywhere today, no need to get dressed." Gold said.

"Yeah." Lacey said, and she went to his bureau drawer, took out a pair of pajamas, and handed them to him. "This is all my fault, isn't it?"

"You didn't force me to play your drinking game, Lacey. Choices have consequences, I learned that many years ago." Gold replied as he put on the pajama top.

"Why did you go along with me then?" Lacey asked. Gold sighed.

"I wanted you to stay a bit longer." Gold admitted. Lacey smiled at him.

"All you had to do was ask. I'll go get you that ice. Some water for both of us would probably be a good idea, too." Lacey said. She suddenly looked down at herself, realizing that she was still wearing nothing but her underwear. "I should probably get dressed too, huh?" Lacey found her top lying on the floor, and she picked it up and put it on. "At least this much. Be right back." Lacey stumbled out of the room, still not quite feeling up to par herself. Gold managed to get himself dressed in his pajamas. He looked down at his right ankle and sighed – it was already swelling up quite a bit.

After several minutes, Lacey came back into the bedroom carrying two ice packs and some bottled water. "Here – let me see that ankle." Lacey said, moving to the right side of the bed.

"I'll take care of it, thank you." Gold said, and he grabbed one of the ice packs from her.

"I just want to see how bad it looks, it could be more than a sprain." Lacey said.

"It's fine, just leave it alone!" Gold shouted angrily, then he groaned in pain from his headache that the shouting only exacerbated.

"Sorry." Lacey said, slinking away with a pained look on her face, her head pounding as well.

"No, I – I'm sorry Lacey, I just – I don't really want you to see what it looks like." Gold said. In this realm with no magic, his old, self-inflicted wound had returned and he had no desire for her to see that hideous sight. Lacey got up and moved away from him, and sat down on the other side of the bed.

"You don't think we – I mean last night, we didn't -" Lacey began.

"I highly doubt it. And I think we'd know if we had." Gold said.

"Well, we did – something. I mean, we didn't just magically end up in bed together." Lacey said. Gold couldn't help but chuckle at her selection of words.

"No, we didn't." Gold agreed.

"I think we kissed. I mean, I – I kind of remember kissing you. Do you?" Lacey asked.

"Lacey, I don't even remember coming upstairs. Maybe once the headache passes I'll be able to recall things with more clarity." Gold admitted, and he leaned back and sighed. Lacey handed him a bottle of water and he opened it and took a drink.

"What are we doing here, Rum?" Lacey asked.

"I honestly don't know." Gold acknowledged.

"Are we a – a thing now, or what?" Lacey asked. "I mean, not that we have to put a label on it or anything, but -"

"Lacey – I can't have this conversation right now. My head is throbbing, and so is my ankle, and I'd really just prefer to be alone at the moment." Gold said curtly, interrupting her.

"You want me to leave?" Lacey asked. "You just told me that last night you wanted me to stay and now you're saying you want me to go. Why don't you call me when you make up your mind?" Lacey jumped off the bed, grabbed her jeans off the floor, and stomped out the door.

* * *

Having gone back to her apartment to change clothes, Lacey entered Granny's diner wearing a pair of sunglasses. She sat down at the counter and sighed heavily. "Where were you last night? Monday has been our pool night at the Rabbit Hole for as long as I can remember." Ruby said as she poured Lacey a cup of coffee.

"I was at his place." Lacey admitted.

"Gold?" Ruby said, in a slightly quieter voice. Lacey nodded. "Did you two -"

"No. Came close though. I think." Lacey told her. "I got him to play Truth or Drink last night. It was – quite a bit more drink than truth, actually."

"Well, that explains why you look the way you do. Bad hangover?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah – I think his is a bit worse though, he drank a bit more than I did. Do you know he had the nerve to tell me that the only reason he played my little drinking game was that he wanted me to stay last night, and then five minutes later he all but throws me out. Jackass." Lacey said, taking a sip of coffee.

"I told you, Lacey – he's not a really popular guy around here." Ruby said.

"No, it's not that, just – he's just such a – MAN." Lacey said, and Ruby started laughing.

"You really like him, don't you?" Ruby asked. Lacey didn't respond. "Oh, come on, you NEVER get this upset over a guy. If you didn't have feelings for him you wouldn't give him another thought." Ruby said. Lacey let out a loud sigh.

"I think I'm falling in love with him." Lacey admitted. "How is that even possible?"

"Don't ask me – I'm really not the 'settle for one guy' type." Ruby said.

"Yeah, well I'm not either. I've never even cared about that sort of thing and now – things would have been so much easier if he'd have just stayed an anonymous big tipper customer at the club, but no – he had to tell me he liked me, he had to ask me out, he had to be all nice to me when Keith was being an ass, he had to offer me a job at his shop. You know, this is all HIS fault, really."

"Right." Ruby remarked. "So – what about the club? Did you quit or not?"

"I can't." Lacey said.

"Why not?" Ruby asked.

"Because Keith has threatened to go after Rum and hurt him if I don't stay on long enough to make him the money he needs to do some repairs to the club in order to keep it up to code." Lacey said.

"Did you tell Gold about this?" Ruby asked.

"Of course not – he doesn't need to know that." Lacey said.

"Lacey, I kind of get the impression that Gold can take care of himself just fine." Ruby said.

"Sure he can. That's why right now he's sitting in his room nursing a hangover and a sprained ankle that he REFUSES to have checked out, he tripped and fell this morning getting out of bed. That's why a pregnant teenager was able to knock him out armed with nothing with pepper spray. Can you even imagine what Keith could do to him?" Lacey paused for a moment. "Oh, I can't leave him at the house all alone, can I? He probably can't even get down the stairs by himself, how will he get anything to eat?"

"You want me to make something for you to take to him?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah. I suppose." Lacey said.

"I know what he usually orders. I'll get it ready for him." Ruby said.

"Thanks." Lacey said, and Ruby walked away. Several minutes later, Regina Mills entered the restaurant. She noticed Lacey immediately, and sat down next to her at the counter.

"Hello." Regina said to Lacey, grinning smugly to herself.

"Um – Mayor Mills. Hello." Lacey said, stunned that the woman was speaking to her.

"You don't look well, dear. Are you okay?" Regina asked.

"Oh, just – a bad night. A bit hung over and frustrated over – relationship issues. Nothing I can't handle." Lacey said.

"Mayor Mills – I've got your to go order all ready, I'll be right back with it." Ruby said as she handed Belle a to go bag. "I put some extra pickles in there, Mr. Gold always asks for them."

"Mr. Gold?" Regina asked. "Don't tell me he's your relationship issue."

"Well, hopefully that will be resolved today." Lacey said. "How much do I owe you, Ruby?"

"You know what – I'll take care of it. You just – go resolve those relationship issues. And tell Mr. Gold I send my regards." Regina said as she smirked a bit.

"Thank you, Mayor Mills." Lacey said.

"You're very welcome – you have a good day." Regina said, her smirk turning to a scowl as she watched Lacey leave the restaurant.

* * *

Gold leaned against the window in his bedroom, watching the street below him. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He put everything in place with the curse so that he could find his son. And once again, he let his feelings for her get the better of him. And worse yet – once again, he let her go.

He was not prepared for the feelings he developed for Belle when he brought her to the Dark Castle. He was even less prepared for the news that, due to his own stupidity, he had lost her. And now – he was not prepared for her in this false incarnation that she was living out. His singular goal for over two centuries was to find his son, and he was determined to let nothing stand in the way of that. And now, just like before – she was standing in the way. If he was smart, he'd just let her go. Yet here he was, once again staring out the window waiting for her to come back. His face lit up with a smile when he saw her car pull up in his driveway. Gold grabbed his cane and limped painfully back to his bed, hoping that somehow he would stop history from repeating itself and not mess this up again. As much of a distraction as she was, and as much trouble as he knew she would be if he let this continue any further – losing her again would be even more painful than holding on to her.

"You're back." Gold said as Lacey entered his room.

"You didn't think I'd leave you up here all alone, did you?" Lacey asked.

"I'm sure you considered it." Gold said.

"I considered lots of things. I also considered the fact that you wouldn't be able to call me anyway, given that I left my phone here." Lacey said, and she picked up her new phone from the nightstand and put it in her pocket. "So – I stopped at Granny's diner and Ruby made up a sandwich for you, she said it's what you like."

"Thank you." Gold said, reaching for the bag. Lacey smacked his hand away.

"Not so fast. We need to talk first." Lacey said.

"Isn't that what we're doing right now?" Gold asked.

"You know what I mean." Lacey said. "How are you feeling?"

"Headache's mostly gone. My ankle is killing me. You?" Gold replied.

"I've had worse hangovers than this. I'll survive." Lacey said. "I stopped by the pharmacy – Tom Clark is a friend of mine, he likes to shoot pool at the Rabbit Hole. Anyhow – I got you a bandage for your ankle, and since you're too stubborn to go get it looked at, I was able to get Tom to wrangle up one of those boots for you so that you can at least put some slight weight on it. Oh, and – he gave me a handful of Vicodin for you, just to take the edge of at night so that you can sleep. Don't tell anyone."

"Who would I tell?" Gold asked.

"So here's the thing – you're going to let me take a look at your ankle, and bandage it up. I don't care about your old injury or what it looks like and I'm not going to ask you any questions about it because it obviously bothers you, I just want to make sure it heals alright. And if it's not looking better by tomorrow you're going to the doctor and I won't hear any argument about it, is that clear?" Gold was silent. "Well?"

"Yes." Gold whispered reluctantly.

"Good." Lacey replied, and she moved to his right side with the bandage for his ankle and proceeded to look it over. Gold flinched in pain as she touched it. "Well, it's not as swollen as I thought it would be. I'll go get some more ice as soon as I finish bandaging it."

"May I have my lunch now?" Gold asked.

"Yes you may. Be right back." Lacey said as she finished tending to Gold's injury. She flitted out the door and came back several minutes later carrying a pillow, an ice pack, and a small bag.

"What is that?" Gold asked, eyeing the bag as she set it down.

"It's an overnight bag." Lacey said. "Well, you didn't think I was going to leave you alone here, did you? I called Keith and told him that I was sick and can't work tonight – I can probably get away with it tomorrow too if necessary. I brought another pillow from downstairs, let's get that leg propped up." Lacey said as she carefully set it under his leg, then lay the ice pack across his ankle. "How's that?"

"Better. Thank you." Gold said. "I um – I'm very sorry about snapping at you this morning."

"Apology accepted." Lacey said. "Finish your lunch. We have some more talking to do when you're done."

* * *

After Gold finished his lunch and Lacey took care of cleaning up for him, as well as cleaning up the mess that had left the night prior, she headed back into his room. "I thought I said I wasn't a maid and here I am cleaning your house." Lacey remarked.

"Thank you." Gold said quietly.

"Well, you did get me a phone so – I guess I kind of owe you." Lacey joked, and she climbed onto the bed with him. "I want to label it."

"Label what?" Gold asked.

"This. Us. I mean – I know I said I didn't want to this morning, but I was hung over and not really thinking clearly, probably the same reason you told me you wanted me to stay and then to leave, and – I'm not making any sense, am I?" Lacey rambled.

"Not really, no." Gold said.

"Rum, I – I don't do relationships. I never have. They've always ended in disaster for me, so – why bother, right? Just have as much fun as you can and move on, that's my attitude." Lacey said. "Do you remember anything about last night?"

"Bits and pieces. You?" Gold asked.

"The same. We did kiss though – I know that happened." Lacey said. "And I want to do it again. I want to do it now, while we're both clear headed, and sober, and we'll remember it. Because I want to know that I'm not imagining this. So – can I kiss you?"

"No." Gold replied.

"No? What do you mean, no?" Lacey asked angrily.

"I said no because – because this time, I'm going to be the one that kisses you." Gold said. He leaned in closer to her, moved his lips toward hers, and kissed her. He kissed her softly at first, then the kiss became more intense. Their mouths opened, and they let their tongues intertwine for a moment before pulling back, allowing one another to softly nibble the other's lip before they stopped and pulled apart.

"Wow." Lacey whispered.

"Indeed." Gold replied.

"So what do we do now?" Lacey asked. "Are we officially – a couple?"

"Lacey, I want you to stop working at the club. You don't need to do that anymore." Gold said.

"I made an agreement with Keith and I need to hold up my end of the bargain. It should only be for a few more weeks. Then I'll quit." Lacey said. "I promise."

"I suppose I'll have to accept that." Gold said.

"So we're um – together then? Officially?" Lacey asked.

"It appears that we are." Gold said.

"I just need one thing from you to make this officially official." Lacey said.

"What's that?" Gold asked.

"Your name." Lacey replied. Gold was silent. "Well, you can't expect me to enter into a relationship with someone whose name I don't even know. That would just be – pretty stupid."

"Yes, I suppose it would." Gold agreed.

"So what is it?" Lacey asked.

"It's – what you've been calling me all along." Gold said.

"Rum is your actual name?" Lacey asked.

"Yes." Gold replied. Well, it wasn't a LIE, he thought to himself. It was PART of his name, anyway.

"Why? I mean, who names their child after an alcoholic beverage?" Lacey asked.

"You'd have to ask my father that, but – I'd really rather not talk about him." Gold said.

"Yeah, I got that last night, I do remember that much. What was so bad about him?" Lacey asked.

"Let's just say he – he refused to grow up and leave it at that." Gold said.

"Alright then – Rum. Like I just said, I – I'm not really good at – relationships." Lacey said.

"That's alright. I haven't been very successful at them myself." Gold told her.

"Well then maybe together we'll figure out how to do this right." Lacey suggested. "I've kind of been neglecting my friends lately because of the time I'm spending with you and – well, I'm not going to do that anymore, I have a right to my own private life." Lacey told him adamantly.

"Of course you do." Gold agreed.

"And I'm still paying off the money I owe you, just because we're together doesn't mean that I expect you to take care of me, I can look after myself." Lacey insisted.

"Is that all?" Gold asked.

"For now." Lacey replied. "You know, I think this might actually work. By the way – you won't believe who paid for your lunch today."

"Don't tell me that widow Lucas actually gave it to you for nothing, she usually charges me extra." Gold said.

"No, it wasn't her, it was the mayor – Regina Mills." Lacey told him. Gold's eyes widened.

"Regina? How did she know you were bringing it to me?" he asked.

"Oh, she heard Ruby mention it. She said to give you her regards." Lacey said. Gold grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. "What's that for?"

"Nothing, I'm just – I'm just glad you're with me, that's all." Gold told her.

"Me too." Lacey said, and she snuggled up to him. Gold wrapped his arms around her and stared off with a look of anger on his face. So Regina knew he was with her. Which meant it was just a matter of time before she tried to pull them apart, the same way she was already toying with Snow and Charming. His only advantage was that he was fully aware of her manipulations. He'd already lost Belle once because of Regina – it was not going to happen again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOOO sorry for the delay in this chapter! Hope you like it! Feedback is welcome!
> 
> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time'.

Gold entered his house very early that morning; it was barely dawn. He had spent the day before in bed nursing his injured ankle. He also spent the day with Lacey, who, much to his surprise, though not really because she was Belle after all, was extremely sweet and nurturing to him the entire day. They spent much of the day talking, and cuddling, and watching old movies on television. It was clear that Lacey would have preferred the ridiculous and plot-free action films of the current modern era, but Gold was drawn to the cinema of the past, and convinced her to give the genre a chance.

He ambled into the house and was surprised to see the light on in the kitchen, so he headed that way. He was greeted by her just as he reached the dining room. "Where the hell were you? I woke up and you were gone, do you know how worried I was? How did you even get down the stairs without help?" Lacey asked, an angry tone in her voice.

"I had some business to take care of." Gold said. Lacey looked down at his leg – he was wearing the boot that she had gotten from Tom Clark. And it, as well as his other shoe, was covered in mud.

"Did that business include a romp through the woods? Your shoes are covered in mud." Lacey said.

"I had some - property issues to take care of." Gold said.

"At seven in the morning?" Lacey asked.

"I thought you weren't a morning person, I didn't even expect you to be awake this early." Gold said.

"I awoke when I rolled over, reached for you, and you weren't there. You weren't anywhere." Lacey said. Gold closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. This was just one of many problematic issues that he was facing in his new relationship with Lacey – they were sharing a bed. He knew deep down that Belle would never consent to such a thing, not without the commitment of marriage. In his previous life, before the dark curse took him, he would have felt the same. He was quite certain that Belle was a maiden, and any memories that Lacey had to the contrary were most certainly false. And yet here she was, staying in his bed with him. At the moment all they were doing was sleeping, and he could easily skirt the issue of moving their relationship toward anything else due to the pain in his leg, but that certainly couldn't go on forever. And while Belle would most certainly object to any sort of physical relationship at this juncture, Lacey would not only like it – she would probably expect it. Soon.

"Sorry." Gold said, unable to come up with any other answer to her complaint.

"Sorry? That's the best you have, really? You could have, at the very least, left me a note so that I wouldn't worry." Lacey commented.

"You were worried? About what, that someone spirited off with me? Who on earth would do that? And better yet – why? Last I checked, you're the only person in this town that wants to willingly be anywhere near me." Gold said. Lacey turned and stomped into the kitchen. Gold followed.

"Take off your shoes, you're tracking mud everywhere." Lacey said angrily.

"It's my house. If I want to track mud all over it, I will." Gold stated, then he realized that, while his tendencies leant toward the side of hoarding – he was, in fact, a neat and orderly hoarder, at least in his home. He sighed angrily and took off his mud-covered footwear, then proceeded into the kitchen. Lacey was standing in front of the toaster, and it was obvious that she was fighting back tears. The toast was burnt and smoking slightly. Gold walked up behind her. "Hey – it's just toast, love. I have plenty more bread."

"It's not the toast. Although this is your fault too – it wouldn't have burned if I didn't have to come out to the dining area to yell at you." Lacey said.

"Well, you didn't have to do that, either." Gold said. Lacey picked up the burned piece of bread and flung it into the trash can. She then turned around and faced him.

"You don't get it, do you? Is it so bloody hard for you to accept that I actually give a damn about you?" Lacey asked angrily. "What the hell were you doing out there, tramping about in the mud at the crack of dawn anyway?"

What was he doing? He was burying his dagger in the woods, that's what he was doing. Now that he knew that Regina knew that he and Lacey were – acquainted – he needed to hide it for safe keeping, and he had to do it at the least conspicuous hour he could think of. Granted, it was powerless at the moment, but – once the curse was broken, it would likely regain its former power. And he didn't need Regina, of all people, getting ahold of it. Unfortunately for him, he ran into the good Sheriff Graham on his little quest. The sheriff seemed a bit rattled, however, and possibly a bit drunk or hung over, so Gold hoped that he wouldn't think much of their little encounter, if anything at all.

"Lacey, I'm sorry. And you're right – I should have been more considerate. I won't make the same mistake again, I promise." Gold said, hoping that his apology would stop her from questioning his whereabouts. He planted a soft kiss on her lips for good measure. "How about we try again with that toast? I'll help."

"Okay." Lacey said, sniffling back her tears. Gold breathed a sigh of relief. Managing the female sex was never his forte, but he realized that if he was going to keep Lacey around and safe AND keep her in the dark in regard to his own little machinations – he'd best figure out how to make it so, and quickly.

* * *

"I still don't think you should be back to work." Lacey said as she finished labeling a box for storage in the shop.

"I am fine. And I have business matters to attend to. The rent isn't going to collect itself." Gold said.

"Why can't you just – mail out billing statements?" Lacey asked.

"Because I find the in-person touch far more effective." Gold replied. "Lacey, I'm fine – it's just a mild sprain and it's much better now. I've dealt with far worse when the injury initially happened."

"How did you do it, anyway? Hurt your leg?" Lacey asked. Gold sighed.

"It was a – a long time ago. Stupid accident that was all my fault. I really don't like talking about it – it's bad enough I'm reminded of it every day." Gold told her. "You just – tend to the inventory and I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I have to work tonight, you know." Lacey reminded him. Gold sighed and turned away from her. "That's not a problem for you, is it?"

"Well, it doesn't really matter if it is, because apparently I don't have a say in how you choose to earn your money." Gold said.

"I told you, it won't be for much longer." Lacey said. "Do you want me to come over afterward?"

"I'll probably be asleep." Gold said.

"That's okay – I'll probably be tired, too. I like sleeping with you." Lacey told him. "I feel – safe with you. I mean, not that I can't take care of myself, just that – well, it's nice having someone."

"Tell you what." Gold said. "How about you – come and live with me?" Lacey's eyes widened.

"You want me to move in with you? Rum, that's a big step, I mean we haven't even -"

"I will have a key made for you and I'll hire a mover to gather up your things whenever you're ready." Gold said.

"I – I have a lease on my apartment." Lacey said.

"I think the landlord will understand." Gold said. Lacey looked up at him in shock.

"You own the place? What about the building manager?" Lacey asked.

"The manager is exactly that, a manager. I must admit – I don't exactly make personal visits to all of my tenants, especially in that part of town." Gold said.

"Well, you're a terrible landlord, my shower has been leaking for as long as I can remember and I keep asking for it to get fixed and it never happens." Lacey said.

"The shower at my place works just fine." Gold said. Lacey thought about it for a moment.

"Okay." Lacey said.

"Really?" Gold said, surprised.

"There's a condition though." Lacey said, and Gold smirked a bit. If she only know how much alike they really were. "You do some repairs to that building, it's in terrible shape, and you don't raise the rents of anyone living there when doing so, they're my friends."

"Done." Gold said. "I'll call the building manager tomorrow and have him get right on that."

"And – one more thing." Lacey said, and she faced him and put his arms around his waist. "When that ankle heals up – you show me just how well that shower of yours works. So – do we have a deal?" Gold hesitated for a moment as he looked her up and down. She was as beautiful as she was the day he first saw her in her father's castle. Even in all of Lacey's make-up and revealing style of dress – he could still see Belle. Belle would want none of this. She was a maiden, an innocent girl. She knew nothing of intimacy with a man. He would be a monster to even entertain the idea.

"That – sounds like a very fair deal." Gold said, and he moved in to kiss her.

* * *

"Well, I think that's everything." Lacey said as she watched the movers that Gold hired leave the house. "It's very sweet of you to give me my own room, but – I don't think I'll be using it much. I mean – I assumed that you wouldn't want me to." Gold had purchased an expensive bedroom set for Lacey, and gave her the largest room upstairs next to his to do with as she pleased.

"Well, you'll at least need your own closet space, right? And um – you're not obligated to share my bed, Lacey. That's your choice." Gold said.

"I know." Lacey said. "And I choose to be with you. So – what did you want to do tonight? Now that I – officially live here."

"You don't want to unpack?" Gold asked.

"I can do that later, and as you saw, I really don't have that much. Do you know what I would like?" Lacey asked, and she put her arms around Gold's neck. "I want to see that shower. Your ankle is much better now, right?"

"It's still a little sore." Gold said.

"Well, I think I can manage to – help you remain in an upright position. At least in the shower, that is." Lacey said, and she kissed him. "Might even give you a little private dance, would you like that?" Lacey slid her hand downward toward his crotch. "I think you would like that, quite a bit."

Gold took a deep breath. He had no idea what to do. And Lacey – Lacey knew _exactly_ what to do. He hadn't been with a woman in years – not since Cora, and that was a nightmare he'd prefer to forget. In all honesty, he had only been with two women – Cora and Milah. He never considered himself much of a lover when he was with Milah, and as time wore on she made it very clear to him that this was, in fact, the case. With Cora, it was – carnal, and passionate and absolutely, one hundred percent wrong in every way except skill. Being the Dark One did have its perks.

He often fantasized about what it would be like with Belle when she was with him in the Dark Castle. He pushed those thoughts aside as he did so, for he couldn't even fathom Belle wanting to be with a beast like him. And yet here she was – she was coming to him willingly, and with want.

He didn't have the magical skills of the Dark One in this land, but he had moved past the shy, insecure spinner that he had been all those centuries ago. He was confident that, in this current form, he would be capable of being an adequate and considerate lover, just as she deserved.

He thought about the repercussions of what it would mean to be with Belle in her cursed state. He would be violating her; he would be going against Belle's true will and when she awoke from the curse she would most certainly hate him, and be disgusted with him, and want nothing more to do with him.

Perhaps that was for the best. It was what he deserved, after all.

"I'd like it very much." Gold said. "After you, my dear."

Lacey playfully ran up the stairs, and Gold hesitated for a moment. He wanted things to be so different – but he understood that embracing the monster that he was cursed to be was the only way to keep Belle safe in the long run. As much as it would hurt him to have her only to lose her again – it was for the best. Gold turned off all of the lights downstairs and slowly made his way upstairs and into his bedroom. When he entered, Lacey was sitting on the bed, her phone in hand and a look of shock on her face.

"Lacey, what's wrong?" Gold asked, and he sat down next to her.

"Sheriff Graham is dead." Lacey said. "Ruby just called to tell me. He was one of the only people in this town besides you that was nice to me. He was nice to everyone. I just saw him this morning at Granny's. And now he's dead. Why?" Lacey hugged him tightly and began to cry.

Why? Gold knew exactly why. And he also knew that, given Regina's nature and her desire to keep the curse intact – Belle would be her next target.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued feedback and support of this story! I really do appreciate it!
> 
> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'

It had been two weeks since the sheriff passed away. In those two weeks, the relationship between Gold and Lacey took an odd turn. They became closer, and at the same time, more distant. Lacey didn't know Graham very well. She couldn't even recall one real conversation the two of them ever had. But he was always kind to her whenever their paths crossed. He always made it a point to say hello to her whenever he saw her, which was usually at Granny's Diner just before dinner time. No one ever said hello to her aside from the few friends she had at the Rabbit Hole. Even Granny herself barely tolerated her, and only did so because of her friendship with Ruby. No one wanted to bother with the town's star stripper, but none of that ever seemed to phase Sheriff Graham. For as long as she could remember, he was nothing but kind to her – and now he was gone.

Gold understood exactly what had happened to the good sheriff. He had known since their time in the Enchanted Forest that Regina had possession of the man's heart, a punishment for daring to show kindness and mercy to Snow White. Graham was getting closer to Emma, and being the product of true love, that closeness no doubt began to open his cursed mind up to a flood of memories that Regina wanted to suppress. Unfortunately for the poor sheriff, the only way to suppress those memories was his demise. Gold wondered if it was possible that Regina possessed Belle's heart, but he shook the thought off. If this had, indeed, been the case, Belle would have somehow become one Regina's minions in this land, and she never would have been permitted to form a close relationship with himself in the first place. That, however, did not mean that Belle was not in danger from Regina. Crushing a heart was not the only way to mortally wound someone.

Lacey became much more inwardly focused over these two weeks. She took on extra shifts at the club, much to Gold's dismay. She would frequently come in late, reeking of smoke and alcohol, and he could often smell the touch of other men on her. He hated the idea of other men putting their hands on her. He wanted to beat the living hell out of each and every one of them.

She still slept in his bed, and he was becoming used to her company there. Even without the sex, it was far more intimate than any relationship he had ever had. Milah never had much use for his presence in their bed, and more often than not she barely acknowledge that he was there with her. With Cora, it had just been sex – there was no time nor desire for any sort of afterglow or tender moments.

"Rum." Lacey whispered as she awoke. Gold was standing in front of his mirror, tying his tie.

"Hey. Did I wake you? I'm sorry." Gold said, and he walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. He ran his fingers though her hair and kissed her forehead.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I've been so – moody lately. I don't know why I'm reacting this way, I barely even knew the sheriff. I'm just trying to make sense of it all, I guess." Lacey told him.

"You can't make sense out of something senseless, dear. But I understand." Gold told her.

"It's just that – what's the point of it all? Why bother even trying to do better with your life if it gets you nowhere?" Lacey asked.

"I've wondered that many times myself." Gold said. "I have to get to the shop." Gold gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll see you there, then?"

"Yeah." Lacey said. "See you there."

* * *

Lacey entered Gold's shop just as Emma was leaving. "Was that the acting sheriff?" she asked. "What was she doing here?"

"Just picking up some of Graham's things. They were friends." Gold said.

"What on earth is that smell?" Lacey asked, and she strode into the back room. "What the hell is all of this?"

"Just working on a little project." Gold told her, entering the room with her.

"Since when do you do arts and crafts?" Lacey asked.

"It's not arts and crafts, it's a rug I'm making." Gold said.

"You make rugs?" Lacey asked.

"Old hobby of mine. Thought I'd take it up again." Gold said.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Lacey asked. "Do you really expect me to work back here with that foul smell in the air?"

"You'll get used to it. It fades after you've been around it for a bit." Gold told her. "Kind of the way you've gotten used to the smell of smoke and alcohol."

"Was that dig at me?" Lacey asked.

"If you can manage adjusting to that foul smell, you can manage a little bit of lanolin." Gold said. Lacey just rolled her eyes at him and Gold went back to his project.

"What are you making that for?" Lacey asked. "You have plenty of rugs at the house."

"Perhaps I want one more." Gold said.

"Why do you always do this?" Lacey asked.

"What do I do?"

"You're always so cryptic about everything. Like there's some kind of big secret you have that you don't want me to know about."

"Do you have no secrets from me, then? Nothing you're not telling me?" Gold asked.

"Nothing that matters." Lacey said.

"See, that's not a 'no'. When you can let me in on all of your secrets – perhaps I'll tell you mine." Gold said.

"How can we have a relationship if we have secrets, Rum? I just feel like every time I try to get close to you, you pull away." Lacey said.

"And you don't do the same? You've been all but avoiding me for two weeks now, except when you want comfort in bed. Not that I mind that at all, but – I don't know what to do anymore, Lacey. I don't know why you insist on remaining in the employ of that foul bastard Keith Sherman when I've offered you so much more than he ever can. And I know you're upset about what happened with Graham, but I think that's just an excuse to shut me out."

"There are times I feel like you WANT me to shut you out, Rum!" Lacey shouted at him. "Dammit, this shouldn't be this difficult!"

"I think I've said before that I'm a difficult man to love." Gold said.

"I never said anything about love." Lacey insisted.

"No, I suppose you didn't." Gold said. Both of them became silent and went back to their respective projects; Gold working on his rug and Lacey sorting through boxes and taking inventory. The silence lasted for nearly ten minutes; both of them looked up at one another intermittently, then looked away as soon as the other looked back. After almost ten minutes of this, their eyes finally met. Gold put down his work and moved toward Lacey, and she moved toward him as well. They reached for one another at the same time, and their lips locked together for over a minute, each of them slipping their tongue into the other's mouth. Lacey began to push Gold backward until he was leaning up against a wall. She grabbed his tie and quickly untied it, then ripped it off of his neck and shoved it down the front of her blouse. She kissed him once again, a bit rougher this time, and then she moved her mouth down his neck. She began to unbutton his shirt as she kissed him. Gold moaned as she did this, and when she reached the third button down he grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Not here." he growled.

"You want to stop?" Lacey asked.

"No." he replied. "I just don't want our first time to be on the floor of the back room of my shop."

"You do have a cot back here too." Lacey said.

"Let's wait till tonight." Gold said as he pushed her away and started to button up his shirt.

"I have to work tonight. I don't like doing that after a show." Lacey said.

"Well then, tomorrow." Gold said.

"I'm working every night this week." Lacey said.

"Why?" Gold asked.

"Because I'm trying to finish off the agreement I have with Keith so that I can leave there!" Lacey shouted at him. "And do not offer to buy me out from him again, I'm not your whore!"

"May I have my tie back, please?" Gold asked.

"No." Lacey remarked. She pulled the tie out of her cleavage and put it around her neck. "I like it." Lacey strolled over to a mirror and tied the grey-printed tie around her neck. "It looks good on me. When you tell me one thing that you've been keeping from me – you can have your tie back."

Gold stared at her in disbelief. She was playing him at his own game of deal-making. And for reasons that he couldn't even begin to comprehend – she was _winning_.

* * *

"Aggravating, frustrating, irritating – why am I even bothering?" Lacey asked Ruby as she downed half of her wine glass at the Rabbit Hole, then slammed the glass down.

"Sounds like love to me." Ruby said. "I mean – you guys seriously haven't even – you know?"

"It's like something is stopping him every time we come close." Lacey said.

"Maybe he can't." Ruby suggested.

"Oh, he can. I've checked." Lacey said, and Ruby giggled a bit. "I haven't actually seen anything yet, but – well, from what I FELT I'm actually impressed, I mean, he's so short but – not in every way."

"Lacey! Oh my god!" Ruby shouted, and then they both laughed. "When are you gonna tell him you're in love with him?"

"When he's earned it." Lacey said. "He's hiding things from me. I suspected that at first, but now that I'm living with him – there's something about him that makes me suspicious of him."

"I tried to tell you from the start that he was bad news and not this sweet, innocent man that you figured him out to be." Ruby said.

"Oh, but he's that, too. That's why he's so aggravating. He's like freaking Jekyll and Hyde." Lacey said.

"Maybe that's his fairy tale personality." Ruby joked.

"Right. That's not even a fairy tale. Next thing you're gonna tell me that Dr. Frankenstein is here, too." Lacey said, and she finished off her wine.

"Speaking of doctors – I have a date with Dr. Whale tomorrow." Ruby said.

"Ooooh, he's handsome – decent tipper, too." Lacey said. Ruby glared at her. "Oh come on, if you eliminated all of the single men in this town that don't come to the club from the dating pool, who would you be left with? Walter the security guy and that weird guy that lives in the mansion near the town line and never leaves his house."

"What about Archie? He's nice." Ruby said.

"You want to date a shrink? Oh my god, I'd be mortified every time I had a conversation with him, and can you even imagine what he'd think of your relationship with your grandmother?" Lacey asked.

"You do have a point. You know, Graham never went to the club. I liked him." Ruby said.

"Me too. He was an – uncomplicated man. Too bad there aren't more like him here, but – we have play with the deck we're dealt, I suppose." Lacey said. She picked up the wine bottle on the table and poured a bit into her glass, then into Ruby's. Lacey lifted up her glass. "To Graham."

"To Graham. One of the last decent men in Storybrooke." Ruby said, and they clinked glasses and took a drink.

"Who knows, maybe another one will move here someday." Lacey commented. "One can only hope."

* * *

Lacey was in the back room of the shop several days later when Mayor Regina Mills entered the shop. She nosily listened in on the conversation Gold was having with her, but remained quiet and out of sight until the mayor left the shop. "What was that about?" Lacey asked when she entered the main area of the shop.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Gold asked.

"Well, it seems to be the only way for me to find things out. You're backing that girl that showed up in town some time ago for the new sheriff job? What's wrong with Sidney Glass?" Lacey asked. "He's always been nice to me at the club. Leaves a decent tip and he's never been a handsy type, he just likes to watch."

"I really don't need to know about your escapades at the club with Sidney Glass or anyone else, for that matter. I am backing Miss Swan because I want to. And there are a myriad of things wrong with Sidney Glass, the fact that he frequents your place of employment being the least of them."

"This isn't about him, though. This is about the mayor. You don't like her, I could hear it in your voice when you were talking. And she's definitely not fond of you, you don't call your friend a bastard. Do you two have a history?" Lacey asked. "Were you and her ever – involved?"

"I think not." Gold said, a look of disgust on his face.

"Well, you were something, if it wasn't that, what was it?" Lacey asked.

"To answer your first question, Mayor Mills and I have a long and complicated history and I'd rather not go into the details." Gold said.

"Fine. You're never going to get that tie back at this rate." Lacey said. She moved close to Gold, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him. "Why do I put up with you?"

"I have no idea. But I am glad that you do." Gold said, and he kissed her back.

"Well, if you want to play politics, you do that, that sort of thing bores me, anyway." Lacey said. "You know what – maybe you should run against Mayor Mills in the next election, wouldn't that be fun?" Lacey hesitated for a moment. "When was the last election here, anyway?"

"It was a few years ago." Gold said nervously.

"It was? No, I – I don't remember that. She's been mayor for as long as I can remember, I don't even recall there being an election." Lacey said.

"You said you've never been interested in politics. Maybe you just forgot." Gold said, hoping that explanation would suffice. Gold moved behind her and put his arms around her. "You know, maybe it's good that you stay out of this. It could get quite ugly. I would prefer that you not even involve yourself with anything that concerns our mayor."

"Why?" Lacey asked, turning around to face him.

"I have my reasons." Gold said.

"That's not an answer." Lacey said.

"That's the answer you're getting. Trust me – you don't need to know any more than you already do."

"You act like I'd be in danger if I knew more." Lacey said.

"Lacey, please – can't you just trust me on this one and leave it be?" Gold asked. Lacey noted the look on his face. It suddenly changed from hard and determined to a look of pleading and worry. She had never seen this look on his face before. It was softer, and gentler, and for the first time she was seeing through his hard, stoic exterior. He was in love with her, too. She could see it in his eyes. Whatever his reasons were for his request – they were made out of love for her.

"Okay." Lacey said. She gave him a hug, and Gold sighed in relief, not knowing how much longer he could keep this up. He had things to do if he wanted this curse broken – and Lacey was a road block to all of them. He wasn't sure how much longer he could protect her and continue his plan without telling her everything, and hoping she would believe him.

* * *

Lacey decided to take the evening off, promising Keith that she would do three shows the following evening. She prepared a light, romantic dinner for them at the house, and donned her sexiest outfit. Tonight was the night she was going to tell him that she was in love with him, and then hopefully things would progress from there. Gold, however, was late – far later than he usually was. She didn't blame him – he had no idea that she was planning to surprise him, and he probably had some things to do at the shop that evening. Bored with waiting for him, Lacey turned on the television. She was flipping channels and came across breaking news of a fire at City Hall. It appeared that Emma Swan had saved the mayor's life that evening. Well, that would certainly boost her chances of winning, Lacey thought to herself. She finally heard the door open and went out to the foyer to greet Gold.

"Lacey – you're home." Gold said, surprised to see her.

"Thought I'd surprise you." Lacey said, and she put her arms around him and kissed him. "Surprised?"

"Indeed." Gold said, and he pushed her away and began to remove his suit jacket.

"Here, let me get that." Lacey said, trying to help him.

"No, I've got it." Gold insisted, but Lacey persisted.

"It's just a jacket, let me get it." Lacey said, and as she reached for his jacket, she noticed that it was covered in soot around the edges. "What happened?" Lacey asked, looking at the jacket.

"Dropped it on the floor. I need to have you start dusting a bit." Gold said.

"This isn't dust, this is – soot. From a fire." Lacey said. "There was a fire at the mayor's office today."

"Was there?" Gold asked.

"Yes, it was all over the news. Apparently your Miss Swan saved the mayor's life. That's quite a way to appeal to the public – being a hero. Very convenient. Possibly too convenient." Lacey said. "You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"

"What are you implying?" Gold asked. "Do you really think I'm capable of starting a fire like that?"

"I don't know. Are you?" Lacey asked. Gold ignored her question, and he strolled into kitchen.

"It smells wonderful. You're becoming a better cook every day." Gold commented.

"Answer my question, Rum! Did you start that fire?" Lacey asked. She glanced down at his hand and spotted a small amount of soot under his fingernails. She grabbed his hand and looked at it closely, then shoved him away. "Never mind – I have my answer." She stomped toward the stairs, and Gold followed her.

"Lacey, please let me explain." Gold said. Lacey turned around.

"Go ahead. You have two minutes." Lacey said.

"I knew that Miss Swan would be there, and I knew that she would make sure that the mayor escaped safely. Politics is a dirty game, dear. That's why I didn't want you involved." Gold said.

"I can handle dirty. I just can't handle being lied to." Lacey said.

"I didn't lie." Gold insisted. "And don't talk to me about keeping secrets, because I know you're doing the same. Sherman has something on you and you refuse to talk to me about it. So until you're willing to do that – you don't get to be angry at me for keeping things to myself in order to protect you."

"Did you ever think I might be doing the same for you?" Lacey asked. Gold chuckled a bit.

"I don't need protecting. I can manage just fine." Gold said.

"And you don't think I can?" Lacey asked.

"It's more complicated than that." Gold said.

"Well, when you're ready to uncomplicate it – let me know. Then we'll talk." Lacey said, and she stormed up the stairs. Gold sighed, and debated whether or not he should follow her. Against his better judgment, he decided to do just that. She had gone into her bedroom which she never used aside from storing her things, and Gold stood at the door of the room.

"Don't you want dinner?" Gold asked. Lacey marched over to him, carrying the tie that she had stolen from him days earlier.

"Not hungry." she said, and she threw the tie at his face, then slammed the door on him. Gold leaned against the door and sighed. He knew he couldn't keep this up much longer. He had to either tell her the truth – or let her go. And neither was an option that worked for him. He had already let her go once, and he wasn't about to make that mistake again. And the truth would make him sound like a mad man at this stage. He needed a different strategy – one that he didn't like one bit. He had to find a way to convincingly lie to her – and hope that, in time, when the curse was broken at last – she would find a way to forgive him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I do thank you for your kind feedback! See the end for an important A/N! 
> 
> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'

The next several days were spent with an awkward silence between Gold and Lacey. He was waiting for her to tell him that she was moving out, quitting her job at the shop, and that she never wanted to see him again. It would serve him right, after all. Part of him wanted her to do that. He was certain that she would have nothing but disdain and hatred toward him once she awoke from the curse. Why prolong the inevitable? But at the same time, if she were gone from his life, how could he protect her? How could he keep her safe from Regina? Regina, who was clearly becoming more and more on edge ever since Emma Swan became sheriff. Gold was not ashamed of the fact that he enjoyed watching the queen squirm – it was the least she deserved for leading him to believe that Belle was dead, and then putting her into a cursed life that she would be mortified over. Actually, she deserved far worse as far as he was concerned. But this would have to suffice – for now.

Lacey entered the shop without saying a word to Gold. Gold looked up at her. "I'd like you to start going through all of the clothes I have in the back room." he said. "Organize them by size. If you see anything you like, you're free to have it."

"No thanks." Lacey said, and she headed into the back room. Gold grinned a bit to himself. At least she spoke two words to him – that was more than he had gotten from her in days.

He stayed in the main area of the store, out of her way – it seemed to be what she preferred lately. There wasn't much for him to do, really, aside from wait, which he was already growing tired of. As he picked up an old lamp and began to dust it, the door opened. It was Emma Swan, looking for the owner of a compass. She was nothing if not predictable, but then again, she was the savior. This time she was trying to save two orphaned children from being sent to a foster home in Boston, which he knew wasn't even feasible. He did feel badly for the children, and for the man known as Michael Tillman in this land, who, although he had no memory of them, loved his son and daughter very much. Regina never showed any mercy to anyone, even children, which is why it was stunning that she had any sort of maternal instinct toward Henry.

The moment Emma left the shop, Lacey came out into the main area. "So you, um – have a truce of some sort with her now?" Lacey asked.

"It would seem so." Gold replied. "Is there any chance that could apply to us as well?"

"Possibly." Lacey said, and she moved closer to him. "You're a far more complicated man than I first thought you were."

"I know." Gold said.

"There are a couple of dresses back there that it turns out I really like." Lacey told him.

"You take whatever you want." Gold told her.

"I'll pay you for them." Lacey said.

"No need. Consider them a peace offering of sorts." Gold said.

"You're trying to bribe me with vintage dresses?" Lacey asked.

"I don't think I could bribe you if I wanted to." Gold said.

"No – you couldn't." Lacey said, and she turned and went back into the back room of the shop. Gold smirked a bit to himself. Perhaps there was still hope for them.

* * *

They spent the next several days in quiet banter with one another. They were still sleeping in separate rooms, and Lacey would frequently slip out of the house before Gold was even out of bed, something that was very uncharacteristic for her. Apparently she wasn't yet ready to endure breakfast with him – or any meal, for that matter. Sharing a meal would require more than a passing conversation, and they hadn't worked up to that point yet. Besides, any time they conversed, she asked too many questions and he was reluctant to answer them, or he would answer them cryptically. She called him a name, and he would sulk off in offense, then immediately regret his childish behavior toward her, and he would sheepishly give her some sort of peace offering, which would suffice until the cycle repeated itself.

It was almost as if they were living in the Dark Castle again, without the magic.

Lacey sat bleary-eyed at the counter at Granny's Diner, trying to keep her head from dropping down completely. "Want another coffee?" Ruby asked. Lacey mumbled a word that sounded as close to 'yes' as she was able to get. Ruby poured more coffee into her cup. "Why don't you just stay here for a few days?" Ruby asked.

"I can't afford it." Lacey replied.

"I'll comp you, I'll work it out with my Granny later." Ruby suggested. "Why do you keep going back to him if he's such a jerk?" Lacey lifted up her head and took a sip of coffee.

"That'll be the title of my autobiography, won't it?" Lacey said. "I don't know, Ruby. He's actually been really nice the last few days. He's not pushing me at all, he's letting me set the pace of everything. I just – I just wish it was easier." Lacey glanced up at the young man and woman sitting at tables across from one another. They were talking yet not sitting together, even though it was clear that they wanted to.

"At least you're not those two." Ruby said.

"You know them, right?" Lacey asked.

"Well, I know her – Mary Margaret – she's the school teacher. And he's – weird." Ruby said.

"Is that the coma guy? He was in Rum's shop some time ago." Lacey said.

"Yeah, that's him. He's married. And he and Mary Margaret are -"

"No way, really? She seems so – not that type." Lacey said. She paused and thought for a moment. "Maybe that's what I need?"

"To what, have an affair? With who?" Ruby asked.

"Not an affair, just – take him by surprise one night. Tell him to put out or get out." Lacey said.

"I still cannot believe that you two have not even done anything in all this time. THAT is weird." Ruby said. "And you can't really do the 'put out or get out' thing with him, it's his house, it's not like he's gonna give you his house rather than sleep with you. I can't believe he hasn't wanted to. I mean – look at you. I'm straight and I'd sleep with you." Lacey giggled a bit.

"Wouldn't that cause a gossip stir in this town, even more than the two white bread cheaters over there." Lacey said. "I think the other girl is the problem."

"Other girl? What other girl?" Ruby asked.

"Some time ago, Gold had a thing for another woman who worked for him. I haven't been able to gather many details from him, it's like pulling teeth with him, but from what I have gathered, she left and he's still carrying a torch for her. And unless that flame can be put out – I don't see how we're ever going to move beyond where we are right now. Sometimes I feel like he's deliberately pushing me away, then trying to pull me back, then pushing me away again. He's the most frustrating man I've ever encountered."

"Why on earth do you put up with it, then?" Ruby asked.

"Because despite everything – I still think I'm in love with him." Lacey admitted. "Am I crazy?"

"Yes. You are certifiable." Ruby said.

"So we're still on for the Rabbit Hole this evening, right?" Lacey asked.

"Of course, it's Monday." Ruby replied. "I think a night out will do you good. Give you a chance to forget about Rumpelstiltskin for a few hours."

"Stop calling him that!" Lacey shouted.

"Well you've gotta admit, he does fit the profile." Ruby teased. "I still don't know who you are, though."

"Well, maybe if I drink enough tonight I'll have some sort of drunken flashback and remember." Lacey joked. "I was probably nobody, just some street peasant or something."

"I doubt that." Ruby said. "I'll see you tonight then."

* * *

Lacey was already stumbling around the pool table at the Rabbit Hole when Ruby arrived; it was clear that she had already drank quite a bit. Lacey picked up that pool cue, aimed for her shot, and accomplished it perfectly. Several people who were watching cheered her, and Tom Clark, who she was playing against, took a sip of his beer.

"How do you like that, Clark! Even half drunk she's still a better player than you!" Leroy teased.

"I'm not half drunk." Lacey insisted. "I'm about three quarters of the way there, thank you." She turned and looked at Tom. "How about you just buy me another bottle of wine and we'll call it even." Ruby walked up behind Lacey and put her arms around her shoulder.

"How many bottles have you had?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know. Two or four or – what's that number in between?" Lacey asked.

"Three." Ruby replied.

"Yeah, that's it – three." Lacey said as Ruby led her to a table. A waiter brought over another bottle and opened it for her. Lacey picked it up and poured a glass for herself.

"When you said you wanted to get drunk, I didn't think you meant THIS drunk." Ruby said.

"I'm not even close to drunk enough." Lacey said, and she downed the glass of wine in one gulp. "You want some?"

"I prefer red wine." Ruby said. "White is too dry for me."

"I like dry. Better than wet. Well, most of the time." Lacey said, and she giggled as she poured another glass and took a drink. She glanced at the tiny window in the corner and trembled as she heard a boom of loud thunder. "I hate storms."

"Yeah, we haven't had one here for – well, for as long as I can remember." Ruby said. "I'm gonna go get a drink. You stay put here." Ruby got up and left, and Lacey sat at the table and sighed.

"Is this seat taken?" a man's voice asked. Lacey looked up and saw Albert Spencer standing next to her.

"Get lost. I don't fraternize with customers." Lacey said.

"Even your best one?" Spencer asked, and he sat down next to her and put his hand on her knee.

"I have a boyfriend." Lacey said, pushing him away.

"Yes, I've heard the gossip. You and the pawn shop owner. I've also heard that you two are a bit on the outs at the moment. You can do so much better than that, Lacey." Spencer said.

"In this town? I doubt it." Lacey replied.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked as she made her way back to the table, carrying a glass of red wine.

"Mr. Spencer was just leaving." Lacey said.

"You know – I don't have to be your customer anymore." Spencer suggested.

"Good. Wouldn't miss you one bit." Lacey said, and she took another drink. Spencer stood up and sneered at her.

"Actually, on second thought, I think I'll book you for an hour tomorrow night. I'll talk to your boss." Spencer said, and he walked away.

"Book you? Lacey, you haven't been -"

"Private dances. Keith threatened to go after Rum if I didn't." Lacey said, and she took another drink. Another loud thunder clap hit, and Lacey looked around nervously.

"I need to go." Lacey said, and she stood up. Ruby stood up and grabbed her arm.

"You're not driving. I'll take you home." Ruby said. "You can stay at Granny's tonight, I'll get you a room."

"No, I want to go to Rum's house, I want to see him. I miss him." Lacey whimpered. Ruby rolled her eyes.

"I thought the whole point of this night was to forget about him." Ruby said, and the thunder clapped once again.

"Didn't work." Lacey said.

"Alright, fine. Come on." Ruby said. Lacey grabbed the half empty bottle as Ruby led her out the door. "We can't have open liquor bottles in the car!" Ruby insisted.

"You're not drinking it, I am." Lacey said.

"You don't need to drink any more. I'm not even sure how you're standing up at this point." Ruby said.

"I can handle my liquor. It's nothing hard, just wine." Lacey said.

"That's your fourth bottle!" Ruby shouted. "Come on – let's go."

* * *

Ruby rang the doorbell at Gold's house, her arm around Lacey as she did her best to hold her up. "What the hell happened?" Gold asked the moment he opened the door. He was dressed in his pajamas and wearing a silk robe.

"YOU did. And she still wanted me to bring her back here, it's like you have her under a spell or something." Ruby said to him.

"Take her upstairs, her room is the first door on the right." Gold said.

"I don't need help getting upstairs, I'm fine." Lacey said. She kicked off her shoes and stumbled toward the steps. A loud clap of thunder hit, and Lacey tripped and fell onto her knees on the third step.

"I think you need help, come on." Ruby said, and she helped Lacey stand and led her up the stairs.

"I'll get her some water, I'll be right up." Gold said. He went into the kitchen and took a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. Before he left the room, he opened the cupboard, took out the small chipped cup that he kept in there, and sighed. "I'm so sorry, Belle." he whispered to himself. "You deserve better than this."

Gold headed up the stairs and entered Lacey's room. Ruby had managed to help her change into a nightgown and was helping her get settled in bed. "She got a little bit sick once we got up here." Ruby said.

"I should have stopped at three bottles." Lacey mumbled.

"You should have stopped at ONE." Ruby said.

"Bottles of what?" Gold asked.

"White wine. The stuff they serve at the Rabbit Hole is pretty cheap – and pretty easy to get drunk on if you have too much of it." Ruby said. The loud thunder clapped again.

"When will the storm stop?" Lacey asked. Gold sensed a tone of fear in her voice.

"I don't know." Gold said as he sat down next to her. "Here, drink some of this." Gold handed Lacey the water bottle, and she took a few drinks.

"This is all your fault." Lacey said, and she took another drink. "Why do you have to be such an ass? Why can't you just be a normal bloody boyfriend? Why aren't there any normal men in this town?"

"I should probably go." Ruby said, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Will you be alright in the storm?" Gold asked.

"I'll manage." Ruby said. "I'll call her in the morning."

"I'd make it late morning, she'll probably be sleeping in." Gold said.

"I can see myself out." Ruby said.

"Thanks for bringing her home." Gold said.

"Wasn't really my idea. But whatever." Ruby said, and she left the room.

"You want some more water?" Gold asked, noticing that Lacey had finished the entire bottle.

"No." she said quietly.

"Alright then. You should probably get some rest; try and sleep on your side." Gold said. Another loud blast of thunder hit and shook the room a bit.

"Rum – please don't leave me alone. I don't like storms." Lacey said. Gold sighed. They had been dancing around the issue for over a week now, but they hadn't officially made up. She was drunk and afraid and he did not want to take advantage of her when she was in a vulnerable position.

"Lacey, I really shouldn't." Gold said. Another clap of thunder hit, followed by a large flash of lightning. Lacey screamed. Without hesitation, Gold took off his robe and climbed into bed with her. Lacey slid into his arms and clung to him tightly. "It's okay. You're safe with me." Gold whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I was running away from her and it started to storm. And I was afraid." Lacey whispered, trembling in Gold's arms.

"Running away from who?" Gold asked.

"I don't know. It was dream I had." Lacey said. "But it felt real. And I think I've had it more than once because I remember it every time it storms." Gold sighed, his eyes wide open. This was the first time it had stormed in Storybrooke since the curse. Which could only mean one thing. This was no dream. This was a memory of something that had happened to Belle in their land, most likely during the time that he thought her to be dead. Gold was also fairly certain that he knew the identity of the 'her' that Belle was running away from. Regina.

* * *

Albert Spencer stormed into Keith's club. "We're closed on Mondays." Keith said. Spencer was stunned to see Keith sitting at a table, deep in conversation with Regina Mills.

"Mayor Mills. What are you doing here?" Spencer asked.

"Mr. Sherman has been having some issues with city compliance at the request of his landlord. I'm helping him with that." Regina said.

"You want to help him improve THIS place?" Spencer asked.

"Well, given that you're one of his top customers I would think you'd be pleased." Regina remarked. "I have no judgment over what Mr. Sherman does for a living. He's a law abiding, tax-paying businessman. Just like I don't judge any of your – hobbies." Regina got up to leave. "I'll be in touch." Regina headed toward the door just as Spencer began to talk to Keith.

"Your girl Lacey – I want her tomorrow night for an hour. No bouncer." Spencer said.

"I don't do that here." Keith said. "This isn't a brothel."

"Please – I know what some of your girls do." Spencer said.

"Well Lacey doesn't. Trust me – I've tried." Keith said. "Girl's a cold fish."

"Well find a way to heat her up then. Or I'll take my business elsewhere." Spencer said. "And I know damn well that you can't afford to lose me." Unknown to them, Regina hadn't left; she had been standing in the doorway listening to every word.

"You know – I couldn't help but overhear." Regina said, and she moved toward the two men.

"Mayor Mills, we – it's just guy talk, we're not doing anything wrong." Keith said nervously.

"I never said you were. You see – I have a small personal problem that I really need to find a way to deal with, and – the two of you might be exactly what I need to help me out. I take it that neither of you are all that fond of Mr. Gold. Would I be right?" Regina asked.

"Can't stand the bastard." Spencer said.

"You already know how I feel about that man." Keith said.

"Good. That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Regina said, and she smirked with wicked glee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The Espenson Awards are going on right now on Tumblr. Voting begins on January 31st. I am nominated for a few things and might be nominated for more, all of the tallies are not done yet. If you are on Tumblr I'd really appreciate your support if you like my writing! Thank you!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope I still have readers! It's been a loooooong fanfic hiatus but I am back and updating! This one is a bit triggering for sexual assault. Feedback appreciated as always!
> 
> I do not own "Once Upon a Time."

_In the Enchanted Forest, a little over twenty eight years ago . . . . . . . ._

_The sound of the door to her cell opening startled Belle. The evil queen never came to her so late in the evening. She had heard whisperings of a curse from the guards, and couldn't help but wonder if the queen was going to simply kill her before her curse was cast. When the door opened, Belle was stunned to see the handsome man that entered. It was the Huntsman – he, too, was the queen's prisoner, and Belle understood that he was forced to do her bidding._

" _What do you want?" Belle asked nervously._

" _The queen's curse will take us soon. There's no hope for me, but – perhaps you can escape." The Huntsman said as he approached Belle, then began to undo her shackles._

" _I – I don't understand. This is a trick, why would you help me? You don't even know me." Belle said. "She sent you, didn't she?"_

" _The queen is otherwise occupied at the moment. I've tried many times to find a way to free you. I know you've done nothing wrong. If I can't save myself – at least I can help others." he said. He helped Belle stand up as soon as she was freed. "Run. And don't look back."_

" _You should come with me. I'm going to Rumpelstiltskin, he'll help you. I'll get him to help you." Belle said._

" _She has my heart – there is nothing he can do about that." The Huntsman replied. "Hurry – before someone sees you."_

" _I'll find a way to save you." Belle said. "Thank you." Belle whispered, and she ran out of the cell and into the dark night as quickly as she was able._

_Belle ran for what seemed like hours, and during her escape it had started to rain, and the thunder became louder and louder every time she moved. A bolt of lightning flashed near her, and Belle let out a loud scream. "Rumpelstiltskin!" she cried out, but it was no use. He had shut her out. He wasn't going to hear her cries. The only way to reach him was to actually reach him, and the storm was hindering her journey. She was wet, tired, hungry, and alone, and didn't know how she was going to survive this storm when suddenly someone grabbed her and pulled her into a nearby hidden cave. Belle tried to fight off the person, but she was too tired and too weak to even try. "What do you want with me?" Belle whimpered as the figure removed their red hood._

" _I was on my way home and I saw you just standing there – you'd have caught your death of cold out there." The young girl said. "My name's Red – I hide in this cave sometimes, it's kind of my secret place, nobody knows about it. What's your name?" Belle was silent, and she looked Red up and down nervously. "It's okay – I won't hurt you. Here – you want something to eat? You look hungry." Red said, and she took a piece of bread out of her basked and handed it to Belle. Belle hesitated for a moment before taking the offering from Red._

" _Thank you." Belle whispered. "I'm Belle."_

" _I haven't seen you around before. You're not from this village, are you?" Red asked._

" _What village is this?" Belle asked._

" _The Enchanted Forest. Sometimes people not from here call it Misthaven." Red said._

" _Misthaven?" Belle asked, and she smiled a bit. "I made it. This is where he lives."_

" _Who?" Red asked._

" _Oh, um – just someone I know. A friend that – I need to get to." Belle said. A loud clap of thunder boomed, and a lightning bolt struck in front of the cave opening, and Belle jumped a bit, startled._

" _I think we're gonna be stuck here for the night, why don't we try and get some sleep?" Red suggested._

" _Okay." Belle said quietly. Another loud thunder clap boomed and echoed into the cave, and Belle hugged herself in fear._

" _You afraid of storms?" Ruby asked._

" _No, I just – don't really like then all that much." Belle said._

" _It should be over by morning. You can come home with me and meet my Granny. Maybe get you some fresh clothes?" Ruby suggested. "Goodnight." Ruby whispered. Belle curled up in a ball, trembling at every thunder blast and lightning bolt, unable to sleep at all._

* * *

Gold had no intention of spending the entire night with her, but the storm was hindering her from falling asleep, despite her state of inebriation. Every time she was about to drift off, a loud thunder clap would burst out and Lacey clung to him even tighter. "Make it stop." she would whimper. Gold chuckled to himself. Even when he had magic, he couldn't control the weather. It wasn't until well after two in the morning that the storm began to subside, and Lacey finally settled into a deep sleep in his arms. He didn't want to wake her by moving to get up, and he was, in fact, quite tired at that point himself. He simply decided to settle into bed with her and worry about that choice in the morning.

Lacey was actually the first to awaken that morning. Gold's arms were locked around her so tightly that she could barely move. Her head hurt; her entire FACE hurt, actually. She tried to lift up her head but it didn't seem to want to cooperate. "Rum." she finally mumbled. Gold's eyes fluttered open, and he stretched a bit.

"Lacey. How are you feeling?" Gold asked in a quiet whisper.

"Did we make up last night?" Lacey asked.

"No." Gold replied.

"Then why are you in my bed?" Lacey asked.

"You were afraid of the storm." Gold said. "I didn't want to leave you alone."

"Oh. That." Lacey whispered. "I've never liked storms."

"Why?" Gold asked.

"I don't know." Lacey replied. "They've just frightened me for as long as I can remember." Lacey sighed and rolled away from him, moaning a bit. "You can go, Rum."

"Can I get you anything?" Gold asked.

"Just leave me alone." Lacey said. Gold sat up and stretched a bit.

"Lacey, I am sorry. I really am." He waited for a response from her, but none came. Gold sighed, and he left the room.

* * *

Several hours later, Lacey entered Gold's shop; she was wearing sunglasses and her hair was straight. "Didn't think you'd be in today." Gold said.

"I do still work here." Lacey said.

"Not up for doing your hair today, I see." Gold commented. "Actually, it doesn't look bad at all straight like that." Lacey took off her sunglasses and glared at him.

"How much longer are we going to do this?" Lacey asked.

"Well, I'd say that's not my call now, is it?" Gold asked in reply. "I did say I was sorry."

"I just don't know what to make of you, Rum. One minute I want to kiss you and the next I want to strangle you. You are, without a doubt, the most frustrating man I've ever met in my life."

"Well – I have always been a difficult man to love." Gold said.

"I never said a thing about love." Lacey commented. "But speaking of that – are you still in love with her?"

"With who?" Gold asked.

"The girl. Your maid." Lacey said.

"That – is a very complicated matter." Gold said.

"It's not complicated, you either are or you aren't. What was her name?" Lacey asked.

"Why?" Gold asked.

"Because I'm nosey. I just want to know her name." Lacey said. Gold sighed.

"Belle." he replied. "Her name was Belle."

"Belle. So – that's my competition then?" Lacey asked, and Gold didn't even attempt to stifle his chuckle.

"Trust me dear – it would be impossible for you to be in competition with Belle." Gold said.

"That's what I thought." Lacey said, and just as she said that, her phone rang. "What?" Lacey answered curtly. "I'll be there when I get there. Well, he'll just have to wait." Lacey hung up the phone.

"Let me guess – Sherman." Gold said through gritted teeth.

"Don't change the subject, Rum. So, this – Belle person. Was she pretty?" Lacey asked.

"Very." Gold replied.

"Prettier than me?" Lacey asked. Gold snickered a bit. "Stop being such a jerk and answer me!" Lacey shouted at him, then cringed at the sound of her voice, her head still throbbing a bit.

"Lacey, this line of questioning is pointless." Gold said.

"I just want to understand you. I want to understand why you seem so bloody incapable of moving toward something that resembles a normal relationship. I think it's because you keep holding onto hope that this Belle person will be back someday." Lacey said, and Gold became quiet. "That's it, isn't it?"

"It's complicated." Gold replied after a moment of hesitation.

"Stop saying that!" Lacey shouted, and she cringed again. "You know what? Forget it. I don't even know why I bothered to come here, I can never get a straight answer out of you. No wonder your 'Belle' left, if this is how you acted with her I don't blame her one damned bit." Lacey stormed out of the shop, and Gold simply watched her and sighed sadly.

* * *

_A little over 28 years ago . . . . ._

_Belle awoke in the cave the next morning and found herself alone. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she was exhausted and knew that at some point during the storm she simply drifted off. "Hello? Red?" Belle called out as she sat up, wondering if her encounter with the girl in the red hood was just some sort of hallucination._

" _Hey – you're up." Red said as she entered the cave. "Here, I picked some berries, these are good, and they're safe to eat." Red gave her the berries, which Belle took without hesitation. "My Granny taught me all about what plants are safe to eat in the woods, you have to be careful."_

" _Thank you." Belle said as she ate the fruit. "How long was I sleeping?"_

" _For a while. I think you were pretty tired." Red said. "How'd you get out here anyway?"_

" _It's a long story." Belle said._

" _Well maybe you can tell me sometime. I love a good story." Red suggested. "Are you ready to get out of here? I don't live that far, just half a day's trip. I'd have gotten back last night if it hadn't been for the storm."_

" _Thanks, but I should really be on my own way." Belle said._

" _To see your friend?" Red asked._

" _Yeah." Belle replied._

" _Do you know how to find him?" Red asked._

" _I think I can manage. But thank you for your help – I really do appreciate it." Belle said._

" _It's okay. Good luck – I hope you find what you're looking for." Red told her as Belle stood up to leave._

" _Me too." Belle replied, and she left the cave and headed down the now clear path. After a few minutes of travel time, she recognized it immediately; it was the same path she had taken on that day – the day she left to fetch straw. The day she went back to him. The day he banished her from the Dark Castle. She knew it wasn't much further. Belle smiled as she continued walking; she knew that if she could just reach the castle she could make him see that it really was true love. She promised she would never stop fighting for him, and she meant it. As she continued to walk along the path, she was startled by the sound of horses. Belle nervously ducked behind a tree and glanced at the carriage, fearing that it was the Evil Queen searching for her. The carriage stopped, and Belle watched as someone stepped out of the carriage. She sighed in relief when she saw that it was not the Evil Queen, but King George. Belle knew him from when she was a young girl; her father had many business dealings with him. She recalled his son James, whom she never really liked. He was a boorish, arrogant oaf, much like Gaston but with money. King George was pleasant enough, however. He wasn't exactly a kind man, but he could be trusted as far as she knew._

" _Are you sure this is where you saw someone?" King George asked his driver._

" _They ducked into the woods." the driver replied. "It was definitely a girl though." King George sighed in anger. "She couldn't have gone far, your majesty." As she was watching them, Belle lost her footing and slipped on the wet dirt beneath her, letting out a squeal as she did so._

" _What was that?" King George asked, looking around. His driver darted right toward Belle, who was struggling to stand up. The man grabbed Belle and dragged her to the king. King George looked her up and down. "You're not Snow White." he grumbled._

" _No sir. I mean – no, your majesty. I'm – Belle of Avonlea. You know my father, Sir Maurice." Belle said._

" _Belle? I heard that you had been taken prisoner by the Dark One." King George said._

" _Oh no – I mean – it was my choice to go with him." Belle said. "Queen Regina – she took me prisoner. One of her servants helped me escape, and I'm trying to get back to Rumpelstiltskin. My father is your friend – can you help me? Please?" Belle begged. "I just need to get as far as the path to his castle."_

" _Of course. I can take you back." King George said._

" _Oh, thank you." Belle said, and she hugged him, then pulled away nervously. "I – I'm sorry, I – that was inappropriate of me."_

" _It's fine. No one has shown me any affection since my wife passed. I miss it." King George said. "Come – you're safe with me." King George took her hand and led her into the carriage._

* * *

"About time you got here. What took you so long?" Keith asked as Lacey entered the club. After her argument with Gold, she went for a long walk before making her way to the strip club.

"None of your damned business." Lacey replied. "And for the record, I'm tired of being at your beck and call all hours of the day and night, I am not your servant."

"Hey – you're free to leave any time. Just remember – your boyfriend will be the one that suffers for you walking out on me." Keith reminded her.

"You're a bastard, you know that?" Lacey remarked.

"Yes, you've told me – many times." Keith replied. "So – Spencer's waiting for you." Lacey rolled her eyes.

"Why does he always want me? Why can't one of the other girls take him?" Lacey asked.

"He likes you. And he pays well. I would think you'd be glad for the money. I know I am." Keith said, mumbling the last sentence under his breath. Lacey sighed.

"This is the last time, Keith. No more calls in the middle of the day, and no more private dances. You don't get to perpetually blackmail me, I've gone above and beyond as it is." Lacey stated adamantly.

"Fine." Keith said, much to Lacey's surprise.

"Really? Just like that?" Lacey asked.

"You're right – you've done enough. So – how about a drink, you look like you could use one." Keith said.

"For Spencer? I need about seven." Lacey said. "Just give me a shot of vodka."

"You got it. Why don't you go change and I'll get that drink for you." Keith suggested. "Spencer said he wants the red outfit."

"Whatever." Lacey said, and she headed toward the dressing room. Keith poured her drink, then took out a small vial and emptied it into the drink. A few minutes later, Lacey came back into the bar dressed in a skimpy red outfit.

"Here you go." Keith said as he handed her the drink. Lacey grabbed the shot glass from him and quickly downed it.

"You gonna be outside the door?" Lacey asked.

"I don't think there will be a problem." Keith said.

"I'm not doing private without a bouncer outside." Lacey insisted.

"Fine, whatever." Keith replied. "Be nice to him – he's kind of pissed at you, something about you being a jerk to him at a bar."

"He's not pissed enough at me to keep from ogling me and having me writhe around on his lap." Lacey complained, and she stomped into the room as Keith closed the door.

* * *

_A little over 28 years ago . . . . . . . ._

" _How much further?" Belle asked. They had been riding far longer than she anticipated; perhaps she was further away from the castle than she thought._

" _Not much." King George said. They shared a pleasant conversation during their trip, which was peppered with moments of awkward silence. After several more minutes, the carriage came to a stop. "Here we are." King George said._

" _Thank you." Belle said, and she moved to exit._

" _Belle, wait." King George said, and he grabbed her arm, pulling her back in. "I'd like to – offer you a proposition."_

" _A proposition?" Belle asked nervously._

" _I'm a lonely man, Belle. My wife is dead, and my son has disowned me. The queen's curse is coming, and I know that I'm doomed to be a lonely man not only in this land, but in this cursed land as well. Unless . . ."_

" _Unless what?" Belle asked._

" _I'd like to take you as my bride, Belle. You'll want for nothing, I promise you that. Not in this land, and not in the cursed land. I'll work things out with Queen Regina, you will have a good life." King George said._

" _I'm sorry, your majesty, but – I can't accept. I'm flattered, but – I'm in love with another." Belle said._

" _Gaston? The man is a peasant compared to what I have to give you." King George said, offended._

" _Not Gaston." Belle said._

" _Then who? Who stands in my way of having you?" King George asked._

" _I – I really have to go." Belle insisted. King George stared at her in disgust._

" _HIM? You're in love with HIM? That foul little imp?!"_

" _You wouldn't understand." Belle said. "I'm sorry – I hope you find someone to make you happy." Belle moved to step out of the carriage, and when she opened the door, she gasped in fear – the Evil Queen was standing in front of her. King George exited the carriage just after she did._

" _I thought you were bringing me Snow White." Regina said as she signaled her guards to seize Belle. "But this one will do. How dare you try and escape me?"_

" _You lied to me." Belle said, looking angrily at King George._

" _My offer still stands. Your majesty – I would like to take responsibility for the lady here. She will be my bride – in this land, and in the cursed land." King George said._

" _NO! I'll never be yours!" Belle shouted at him._

" _It doesn't sound like she's very interested in you, does it? Apparently you're not her type. Perhaps if you dressed in leather and had scales instead of skin." Regina quipped._

" _How about we make it her choice? A life with me – or going back to being your prisoner." King George suggested. "How much use can she be to you, really?" Regina thought about it for a moment._

" _She is a bit more trouble than she's worth. Alright." Regina said, and she looked at Belle. "Which will it be?"_

" _I will NOT go with that man. Not for all the riches in the world!" Belle shouted._

" _Alright. Doesn't matter to me one way or another." Regina said, and she looked at the guards that were holding Belle. "Take her back to her cell." The men headed off with Belle, and Regina glared at King George. "Impressive." she said. "You know what – I think we could make a deal for how things will be for you in the new land."_

" _What good will it be if I won't even remember?" King George asked._

" _You may not remember – but at least you'll have a modicum of enjoyment." Regina said, she smirked at him._

* * *

Lacey went through the motions of her usual lap dance for Albert Spencer, when suddenly he grabbed her and pulled her close. Lacey immediately tried to push him away, but he overpowered her as he planted a kiss on her lips. Lacey kept her mouth closed, resisting him the whole time. "No! Stop it!" Lacey shouted as she tried to break free of his grip.

"I have wanted you for as long as I can remember, Lacey. How about you just let it happen. It'll be much more enjoyable for both of us." Spencer suggested, and he groped at her once more.

"Let me GO!" Lacey screamed, and she managed to knee him in the groin. She got up and started to run toward the door, then suddenly felt dizzy and began to sway a bit. Spencer stood up and grabbed her.

"You're not going anywhere. I paid a great deal of money for you today, Lacey. And I intend to get every penny's worth." Spencer said.

"Someone help me!" Lacey screamed, but the door remained closed. Lacey's vision became blurred as she looked at Spencer. "What did you do to me?" she asked.

"Just gave you a little something that'll help you relax, that's all." Spencer whispered. "Now come on – don't make this difficult." Lacey fought to stay lucid as she continued to stare at Spencer, resisting every one of his advances. Suddenly, his appearance changed. Instead of the brusque businessman that had been leering at her during her shows for as long as she could remember, he appeared to be in some sort of period garb, like royalty out of medieval times. Lacey gasped at his appearance.

"What's happening to me?" she asked, and she suddenly found the strength to pull away from him. She shoved him away hard when he grabbed her once again, and then she stumbled toward the door. She grappled with the doorknob, but it was locked.

"You're not getting out." Spencer said. "There's only one way out – and I have it." Spencer took out a key ring and waved it at her mockingly. Lacey's vision altered between seeing Spencer as he was really dressed, and seeing him in period garb as he moved toward her and grabbed her. He moved to kiss her, and Lacey shoved him once again, knocking him backward. The key that Spencer was holding fell to the ground, and Lacey reached for it. "I thought he gave you something to make you more cooperative, not combative." Spencer grumbled angrily, reaching for the keys as well. Lacey was able to get a grip on the keys, and as Spencer moved toward her she mustered up every ounce of strength she had and plunged the key into his right eye. Spencer screamed out in excruciating pain as Lacey made her way to the door, the room spinning once again. She ignored Spencer's screams as she managed to open the door, then staggered into the main area of the bar.

"What's going on in there?" Keith asked angrily. She looked up at him Keith's appearance was different; his hair was slicked back and greasy, he was a bit dirty, and he, like Spencer, was dressed in a period outfit. Lacey screamed as she darted out the door, collapsing to the ground the moment she was out of the club. She gasped for breath as the world spun around her, when suddenly she heard a feminine voice.

"Lacey? Oh my god, what happened!?" Ruby screamed as she ran to her side and kneeled down next to her. Lacey looked up at her and saw Ruby dressed in a red hooded cape, then closed her eyes as the world around her fell into darkness.

* * *

Gold raced to the hospital as fast as he possibly could, wishing the entire time for his magic, which would have enabled him to arrive there with nothing more than the flick of a wrist. Ruby called him to let him know that something had happened to Lacey, although she wasn't sure what. He knew no details other than the fact that she had collapsed on the sidewalk in front of that foul strip club. Gold never much cared about the little wolf girl one way or the other, but the fact that she did contact him earned her some points in her favor as far as he was concerned. Whatever had happened, he was confident that Keith Sherman had something to do with it. Curse or no curse – he would pay dearly for whatever he had done to her, of that Gold was certain.

Gold knew the risk he was taking as he charged into the hospital. Up until this point, only those individuals in Lacey's social circle knew about his relationship with her, although he presumed that Regina was, at the very least, suspect. He tried to keep their romance, or whatever it was, out of the general public eye in order to keep Lacey protected, but right now none of that mattered to him. He spotted Ruby seated in the waiting room – she was crying. "Where is she? Where's Be – Lacey?" Gold asked, catching himself before he slipped up and called her by the wrong name.

"Dr. Whale said she was drugged – I know that Keith and Mr. Spencer had issues with her but why would they do that?" Ruby asked.

"Spencer? What does he have to do with this?" Gold asked.

"I – I'm not sure. Lacey – she attacked him, she stabbed him in the eye with something, a key I think. I don't really know what happened." Ruby said, sniffling a bit. "I just hope she's okay. I thought about not calling you, I know you guys have been fighting, but she really cares about you and I thought she'd want you to be here."

Gold thought about Spencer for a moment, mentally adding him to the list of people he needed to contend with, along with Sherman. "Well, thank you for that, Miss Lucas. I owe you a favor." Gold said. "But right now I want to see her. Where is she?"

"She's in that room over there." Ruby said, eyeing a closed door. "They told me to wait out here, they probably won't let you in."

"Well, we'll see about that, won't we?" Gold said, and he marched toward the door and stormed into the room. There was a very serious and severe looking nurse looking over Lacey's chart, as Lacey lay in the bed, her eyes closed, an IV attached to her arm and a monitor beeping out her heartbeat.

"She's not allowed any visitors right now." the nurse said, scowling at Gold.

"Do I look like I give a damn, dearie? I suggest you leave – now." Gold said, gritting his teeth at the woman. He couldn't recall who she was in their land, but obviously she was no friend of his. Not that he had any friends. She was probably on Regina's payroll, a fact that he would concern himself with later. He had more important things to worry about the moment as he glared at the woman who was still standing in the room. "Did you not hear me, dearie? Get. Out."

"I'm getting the doctor – and security." the nurse said, and she stomped off in a huff.

"Yes, you do that." Gold mumbled under his breath as he moved to Lacey's side. He sat down on the edge of the bed, then took her hand and kissed it. "Oh, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. Perhaps I should have told you the truth. You'd have thought me mad, but – maybe this wouldn't have happened. Maybe I could have convinced you to believe. I could have kept you safe at least. I am sorry, Belle. I really am." Gold bent over her and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Lacey's eyes fluttered, and she opened them and looked up at Gold. Her vision was blurred as she struggled to focus. "Hey." Gold whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair. As Lacey's vision came more into focus, her eyes widened at the sight of the man sitting next to her. He had long, curly hair, skin that was coarse and almost sparkly, eyes that were black and glazed over, and teeth that were rotted. Lacey's heart began to race, and she let out a loud, terrified scream.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while since I've updated. My sincerest apologies. Hope this chapter makes up for the delay.
> 
> I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'

Deadly nightshade. That was what was discovered in Lacey's bloodstream, the toxicology report said. Despite not being her next of kin, Mr. Gold, after much arm twisting and threatening, was able to convince Dr. Whale to give him the report of Lacey's medical condition.

She had ingested enough of the drug, which at a higher dose may have been fatal, to experience severe hallucinations. Because of this fact, the sheriff determined that no charges of assault would be filed against Lacey for her attack on Albert Spencer, who was also admitted to the hospital for his injuries. Gold couldn't have cared less about him.

After her outburst when Gold entered the room, Lacey was heavily sedated, which Gold was assured would allow her to rest peacefully as she was administered IV medication that would help purge her system of the deadly toxins.

Gold spent the night at her side as she slept, dozing off occasionally himself. He wasn't about to leave her alone and risk anyone harming her even further. It was early the next morning when Ruby entered the room.

"How is she?" Ruby asked.

"They're keeping her sedated for a bit longer," Gold replied. "The doctor has assured me that she will make a full recovery."

"Why would anyone do this to her? I mean Lacey is – LACEY but – she's never hurt anyone. I mean – not in her right mind, anyway." Gold knew that Ruby was a close enough friend to Lacey that she could be trusted with the information of her medical condition, so he shared those details with her the night prior, with the stipulation that she tell no one else.

"No she has not. Miss Lucas, I need to return to my home for a bit and take care of some other pressing business. Would you mind staying with her? She'll probably be sleeping for most of the day, but I don't want her left alone. I don't want ANYONE in here to see her outside of medical staff, or her father. Did you get in touch with him?"

"Yeah. He asked if she was gonna be okay, and I said I think so, and he just said to call him if she's not."

"He didn't want to come and see her? His own daughter?"

"They have a lot of issues."

"Indeed," Gold agreed, trying not to fault this cursed version of Maurice for his blatant lack of concern for his only child. "So can you stay?"

"I have to work at the restaurant by two," Ruby said.

"I'll be back by then. Thank you very much, I appreciate it, and I know Lacey does as well."

"She's pissed at you, you know."

"Yes, I imagine she is. I'm hoping I can remedy that once she wakes." Gold touched Lacey's cheek gently, then turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

"She's still sleeping?" Gold asked Ruby when he entered Lacey's room at the hospital several hours later.

"She woke up for a minute a couple hours ago but she was pretty out of it. Dr. Whale just came in to check on her, he said the sedatives are wearing off and they don't think she'll need any more. He said she should start waking up soon but that she'll probably be pretty groggy for a few hours."

"Well, thank you for staying with her. I do appreciate it." Gold sat down on the bed next to Lacey and took her hand.

"She really likes you. Don't screw this up again, okay?" Ruby said.

"I'll do my best," Gold replied. Lacey began to moan and stir a bit. "Hey – hey sweetheart – everything's okay, you're okay." Gold gently ran his fingers through her hair.

"Hey, Lace – I'm here. You're gonna be alright." Ruby sat down on the bed next to Gold. Lacey blinked her eyes as she tried to focus, looking up at both of them.

"What happened?" Lacey whispered.

"We'll talk about everything later, when you're bit more awake. How are you feeling?" Gold asked.

"My head is pounding. How much did I drink?"

"Ruby, would you please get her some water?" Gold asked.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Ruby said, and she got up and left the room.

"Do you remember anything about what happened, Lacey?" Gold asked.

"I don't know," Lacey whispered. "Am I in the hospital?"

"Yes, you are. You're going to be alright."

"I had some really weird dreams. Everyone was – I don't know. What happened to me?"

"Here you go – think you can sit up a bit?" Ruby asked, entering the room with a glass of water.

"Let me help you, sweetheart," Gold said as he helped Lacey into a sitting position. Ruby handed her the glass of water and Lacey took a sip.

"I feel kind of dizzy," Lacey said.

"The doctor said it'll take a few hours before you're feeling better. I gotta go clock in at the diner, Granny will kill me if I ditch the dinner shift. I can see if I can sneak some food to you on my break though, okay?" Ruby said.

"That'll be fine, Miss Lucas. Thank you," Gold said.

"Will you be alright here?" Ruby asked, and Lacey nodded her head. "Okay – I'll see you later then. Get some rest." Ruby left the room.

"Are you going to tell me what happened or not?" Lacey asked, then took another sip of water.

"You were drugged. The drugs caused you to have – hallucinations," Gold told her. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I – I went to the club. I had a drink and – everything got strange, like – like a dream but – it wasn't."

"Who gave you this drink?"

"Keith," Lacey admitted. "You think he drugged me?"

"Oh, I'm certain of it. Unfortunately, I have no proof. But worry not – Mr. Sherman will be held accountable for what he did, one way or another."

"I don't want to go back there," Lacey told him, trying not to cry.

"You won't. You will never go back there again."

"But – Rum you don't understand, he -" Gold put his finger against her lips to interrupt her.

"He will not harm anyone ever again. It's being handled. Alright?"

"He said he'd hurt you. I wanted to leave him weeks ago but he said he'd hurt you." Gold chuckled a bit.

"Oh, Lacey – you have nothing to fear. I can handle Sherman."

"Like you handled Ashley Boyd?"

"That – was an unfortunate mishap. Your worry is quite misplaced if its for me, dear. I will be fine."

"I probably should have told you, but -"

"I know. I can be quite frustrating. I'll work on that, alright?" They were both quiet for a moment, and Lacey finished her glass of water. "You remind me of her. Belle. That's why I'm so drawn to you."

"Was she a stripper?" Lacey asked, handing Gold her empty glass of water, which he set on the table next to her bed.

"No. I told you, she was my maid. But the two of you are alike in many ways. Perhaps – perhaps I have been aloof with you because I've been afraid of making the same mistakes with you that I made with her. Perhaps I've been trying to find too much of Belle in you. But you aren't Belle. You're you – and I'd like to get to know you. Not as some replacement for the woman I was in love with – but as yourself. If that would be something you'd be agreeable to."

"I'd like that," Lacey replied.

"To answer your other questions that you posed earlier and I so rudely dismissed – there is no possible way I can compare which of you were prettier because you are lovely and so was she. All I can say is – you are here, and she is not. And I have no worry of her coming back to me if you are part of my life. You are not – nor will you ever be – a placeholder for Belle. Alright?"

"Thank you," Lacey whispered. "Rum, I – I did private dances. I didn't want to, but Keith said he'd hurt you if I didn't and – I hated it, I don't ever want to do it again, I swear."

"It's okay. We have quite a bit to talk about, don't we?" Lacey just nodded her head.

"I'm feeling dizzy again, and my head still hurts. I think I want to lie back down."

"Of course, sweetheart," Gold said, and he helped her ease her head back onto the pillow. "Is that better?"

"When can I go home?" Lacey asked.

"I don't know. Maybe in a day or two. How about you and I go away for a few days after you're released? I think we could use some time alone, away from the rest of the world. Would you like that?"

"That sounds nice," Lacey whispered, then she closed her eyes. She was asleep within minutes, and once she had drifted off, Gold placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Oh, my love – no one will ever hurt you again. You have my word." Gold had been keeping Lacey both near and at an arm's length ever since he recovered his memories, but he now realized that this would no longer be possible if he was to keep her safe. He had to take her into his life, into his heart, and into whatever else she wanted in order to keep her close and protected. He just hoped that, once the curse was broken, Belle would find a way to forgive him for what he was about to do.

* * *

"Rum, where did you find this cabin?" Lacey asked as she entered the cabin with him, carrying a suitcase in her right hand.

"It's mine. I've had it for quite some time. It's a nice place to have to get away from people." Lacey chuckled a bit.

"Get away? From what? You don't spend any time around people."

"And here even less. The bedroom is just around the corner there if you want to go set your things down." Lacey skipped off to the bedroom, then returned to his side minus the suitcase. "How about I get a fire and some tea started, would you like that?" Gold asked as Lacey peeked out the back window.

"Is that a hot tub out there?" she asked.

"It is," Gold replied.

"Does it work?"

"Yes it does. You make yourself comfortable, I'll make that tea." Gold went into the kitchen to get the tea kettle started, and when he came back into the main room to start a fire, Lacey was nowhere to be found. "Lacey?" Gold called out. He glanced at the back porch door, which was open, and stepped outside, only to find Lacey settled comfortably in the hot tub.

"Mmm. This is nice," Lacey said, looking up at him.

"I'll get that tea, then," Gold said, and he stepped nervously into the cabin, unsure if he could go through with any of this. He returned several minutes later with a cup of tea, and he bent down carefully and set it on the rim of the hot tub next to Lacey.

"Thanks," Lacey said, and she reached for the teacup. "You gonna come in?"

"I, um – I did not bring my bathing suit," Gold stammered.

"Neither did I," Lacey said, smiling up at him. Gold looked around and spotted her clothes in a pile about three feet away from the hot tub. This pile included her underwear. "Come on, Rum – it'll be fun."

"Right," Gold whispered, and he ducked back into the cabin. Lacey sighed, then took a sip of tea. When Gold returned outside, he was carrying two towels, which he set down near the rim of the tub. He then grabbed onto the railing, removed his shoes and socks, rolled up the legs of his pants, and sat down on the edge of the tub, dangling his feet in the water.

"You gonna jump in wearing the suit?" Lacey asked.

"I'm fine right where I am. It's quite relaxing on my ankle." Lacey shook her head.

"I don't bite. Not unless you want me to." Lacey smiled up at him. Gold ignored her comment.

"How is the tea?" he asked.

"It's fine. You do know how to brew a good cup of tea, I'll give you that," Lacey said. Gold nodded, and went silent again. "Oh, for god's sake Rum – this is ridiculous." Without hesitation, and taking him completely by surprise, Lacey reached up, grabbed his arm, and pulled him into the hot tub. Gold's head went underwater for a moment, and then he lifted it above the water, catching his breath.

"What the hell are you doing!" Gold shouted at her, a tone of anger in his voice.

"Well someone had to!" Lacey shouted in reply.

"Do you know how much this suit cost?"

"Yes I do – that was the main reason I went to work for you, remember? To purchase one for my act. Come on, you can buy twenty when we get back and not even bat an eye. So – wow, this is the first time I'll be saying these words instead of hearing them – take it off."

Every instinct within him, every voice inside of him, was saying to comply with her. Take her, have your way with her, she wants it, she's literally _asking_ for it, you're doing nothing wrong. Gold practically ripped off his tie, and then his jacket, tossing the soaked clothing onto the patio. Lacey moved close to him and fumbled with the buttons of his vest, then removed it and tossed it out of the tub, followed by the same action with his shirt. He was now shirtless, wearing only his pants and underwear. Lacey dove under the water, undid his belt, then came up for air with the belt in hand, tossing it out of the tub as well.

"You want to do the rest or should I?" she asked. Gold grabbed her and kissed her hard, and Lacey lifted up her legs and wrapped them around his back as the kiss continued.

"Not here," Gold said when they finally broke apart to take a breath. "I want to do this right."

"You're a missionary position guy, aren't you? I knew it. Don't worry – I have lots I can show you." Lacey stood up, completely naked, and stepped out of the tub. She picked up one of the towels that Gold had brought out and wrapped it around herself, then picked up her teacup and her pile of clothes.

"Hurry up – I'll be waiting," Lacey said with a playful lilt in her voice, and she flitted back into the cabin. Gold watched her with a dumbfounded look on his face.

* * *

 

A towel wrapped around his waist, Gold went straight into the kitchen when he returned inside. This was actually going to happen. There was no way he could dance around it any longer. He knew that Belle was innocent, a maiden, and that any memories of anything that Lacey had done of a sexual nature were false. He had no desire to tarnish her innocence, especially when she was not in her right mind to comply. Unfortunately, Lacey not only wanted her reputation tarnished, she wanted it bronzed and hanging on the wall.

He needed to protect Belle from everyone now – Regina, Sherman, Spencer, and anyone else. After she was drugged, he realized that it was no longer possible to do this if he kept pushing her away. He justified in his mind that this was right. Lacey had her own mind. He was forcing nothing on anyone. He _needed_ to keep her close for her own safety. Perhaps when Belle awoke from the curse, she'd understand this. If she didn't – well, things would be no different than they were when they left the Enchanted Forest. Maybe it was better that way. She could certainly do better than a monster like him, and with her memories intact once again he had no doubt that she would do just that.

Gold stood in front of the refrigerator until he made a decision on what to prepare for dinner, then took several things out and set them on the counter. He spent nearly twenty minutes preparing a meal and once he put the main course in the oven, he took a deep breath and headed to the bedroom. Maybe she'd at least want to eat first. Perhaps the sight of him in nothing but a towel would be enough to put her off – as far as he was concerned, he was nothing to look at.

Gold certainly didn't expect to find Lacey sitting on the edge of the bed crying when he entered the room. She had put her underwear back on and her blouse, but nothing else. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Gold asked, and without hesitation he sat down next to her, doing his best to keep himself covered.

"I'm bleeding," Lacey whimpered.

"Bleeding? Are you hurt, did you fall?" he asked, very concerned.

"Not THAT kind of bleeding! When I came back in I went into the bathroom and – I wasn't really paying attention to the calendar, I forgot that I was -"

"Oh. That kind of bleeding," Gold said, trying to hide his sigh of relief. Thank goodness for the reproductive cycle, he thought to himself.

"I only have a handful of tampons in my purse, I didn't even think about bringing anything. We'll have to go back into town tomorrow to go to the store." Lacey put her head on his shoulder, and Gold put his arm around her.

"It's okay," he said softly.

"No it's not! I don't like doing anything when – well during that time, it's just a mess! I was really looking forward to this weekend."

"Sweetheart – there are plenty of other things we can do. Hey – I told you I wanted to get to know you better, right? We can cuddle all night, have some really nice talks – that won't be so bad, will it?" Lacey sniffled back her tears.

"I suppose not," she agreed. "I just thought things would be different this time. Why does it always have to be so complicated with us?"

"I'm sorry," Gold said.

"It's not your fault. THIS time." Gold chuckled a bit in response.

"I have dinner started. Why don't you finish getting dressed, I'll do the same and – we'll have a nice meal, then I'll get a fire going in the bedroom fireplace, and we can curl up and talk. That'll be nice, right?"

"I suppose," Lacey replied, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Gold breathed a sigh of relief when she stood up and went into the bathroom. He had been granted a reprieve from doing something that he knew would be good for neither of them – for now.

* * *

Snuggled in bed that evening, the only light flickering in the room coming from the fireplace, Gold in his silk pajamas and Lacey wearing what looked more like a slip than a nightgown, Lacey let out a loud sigh as she rested her head on Gold's chest.

"Feeling alright?" he asked.

"No cramps yet if that's what you're wondering. Tomorrow morning may be a different story."

"Let me know if there's anything I can do."

"Doubtful. It's part of the curse," Lacey said.

"The what?" Gold asked, not thinking.

"The curse we women have to endure every month."

"Oh yeah – that curse." They lay in silence for several minutes. "What do you like to do, Lacey?" he asked, finally disrupting the quietness.

"Well, what I wanted to do will have to wait, I suppose."

"I mean, what do you like to do in your spare time? What are your hobbies?"

"Don't really have any. I mean – unless you count shooting pool at the Rabbit Hole as a hobby."

"Haven't you ever had any interest in doing anything else?" Gold asked.

"Why?" Lacey asked, curious.

"I'm just trying to get to know you. Like I said I wanted to." Lacey thought about it for a moment.

"I guess I um – I'd like to see the world someday. Paris, London – wherever."

"Would you now?" Gold smiled to himself, remembering Belle's desire for the same in their land.

"It probably won't happen – I don't have that kind of money."

"Well – perhaps someday you shall get your wish."

"What about you? What do you like to do? I mean, besides make money and scare people away." Gold laughed a bit.

"What else is there?"

"So you don't have any hobbies either then?"

"Actually, yes I do. I like to spin."

"Spin? What's that?"

"Spinning wheel. Learned how to do it when I was just a lad – my aunties taught me." Lacey lifted up her head and gave him a puzzled look. "I have a spindle in my basement – when we get home I can show it to you."

"Maybe you are Rumpelstiltskin," Lacey mumbled, and she snuggled back into his chest.

"What?" Gold asked nervously.

"That book of Henry's – the mayor's son. Ruby was talking about it one time and we were trying to figure out if it were true, who you'd be. You had just told me your name was Rum, and there was the whole thing with Ashley's baby, so - I guessed Rumpelstiltskin."

"I see," Gold whispered.

"Oh, come on, it was supposed to be funny. Though it is kind of a coincidence, don't you think?"

"Indeed," Gold replied, not knowing what else to say. "So, um – who do you figure yourself to be?"

"I don't know. How about Jessica Rabbit?"

"That's not a fairy tale character," Gold reminded her.

"I don't care, I like her. Can't imagine who else I'd be."

"I think – you would be a noblewoman. A very beautiful noblewoman. One who was smart – and brave. And would do anything she could to protect those she cared about." Lacey let out a small laugh.

"Right. That sounds exactly like me." Lacey let out a yawn. "This is nice. Being with you like this."

"Yes it is," Gold agreed.

"I wish we could stay like this forever – well, minus the biological interruption."

"I do too, sweetheart. I do too." Gold pulled her even closer and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. Whether it was the curse weakening or his natural carnal desires getting the better of him, he thought for the first time that perhaps there was more to Belle's cursed persona than he was willing to see until now.

* * *

Lacey entered the kitchen the next morning to find Gold, still in his pajamas, busily preparing breakfast. "Smells good," she said. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. Gold turned around, cupped her chin in his hand, and kissed her on the forehead.

"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked.

"Okay. Better than I thought I'd be. So what's for breakfast?"

"Sausage. Eggs. Toast. Your standard fare. Coffee, of course."

"You know me so well," Lacey said, and she smiled at him as she pulled out of his arms and toward the coffeemaker.

"I thought we'd make that trip into town as soon as we've showered and dressed, and then -"

"Hey, we could do that! We could take a shower together, that'd be okay, right?" Lacey interrupted. Gold sighed nervously. He thought he had a brief reprieve from her voracious sexual appetite. No such luck. He mentally reminded himself that he could no longer justify pulling away from her if he wanted to keep her safe.

"I think that sounds wonderful," he agreed, mentally plotting out the ways in which he'd beg for Belle's forgiveness when the day that became a necessity arrived.

"I'm glad," Lacey said happily. She was just about to move in to kiss him again when the doorbell rang. "Who would be out here at this time in the morning?" Lacey asked. The person on the other side of the door started to pound on it.

"Gold! I know you're in there, open up or I'm breaking in!" the voice outside called to them. Gold recognized the voice immediately. Emma Swan. What the hell did she want? Gold sighed as he made his way to the door and opened it.

"Miss Swan. This is private property so unless you have a warrant I suggest that you be leaving," Gold said. Emma shoved her way past him, and looked Lacey, standing there in her skimpy nightgown, up and down.

"Sorry to interrupt your weekend, but – you're under arrest, Gold." Emma said.

"For what?" Lacey asked. "He's been here with me all night."

"Unfortunately for him this happened before last night – just took me a while to track him down," Emma said.

"And what, may I ask, did I supposedly do?" Gold asked.

"Assault with intent to kill – because I'm a nice person, I'll let you go change. Unless, of course, you WANT me to haul your ass down to the police station in your PJ's."

"And who, may I ask, did I attempt to murder? I believe I have a right to know that much."

"Keith Sherman," Emma said. Lacey looked up at Gold, stunned, and the coffee cup she was holding in her hand fell to the floor and shattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did deliberately leave out some 'in-between' scenes. You'll find out about those next chapter!


End file.
